As parties gear up for the Senedd elections in May, Wales’s General Election, Derek Walker has urged them to properly address the enormous challenges the nation faces environmentally, in the economy, the NHS and elsewhere.  

Mr Walker is appearing before the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee today to deliver evidence on the state of Wales’s well-being and the need for long-term policy leadership ahead of the election in May.  

He argues that the people of Wales need politicians to work with urgency or the worsening damage will be left for future generations to repair.  

Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, said: “From the cost of living crisis, to entrenched inequalities across Wales, from a health service forever teetering on the brink, to an environment facing cataclysmic climatic change  – all these things have major consequences for the future.  

“Elected members don’t just speak for the three million people living in Wales today, they speak for the millions of people not yet born. Around 360,000 people, around the size of Cardiff, will be born in the next 20 years alone. The choices we make now will shape their lives, and their needs must guide how we respond to the economic, environmental, health and cultural crises of our time.  

“Even with the Senedd moving to a shorter four year term, political leaders must keep their eyes on the future, honouring the promises we owe to our children, our grandchildren, and those yet to come

“I see a hopeful vision of Wales for the future, but it is one that can only be achieved if all parts of society, led by our elected officials in Cardiff Bay, work together and understand just how urgent that action needs to be.

“Future generations don’t have a vote. We can’t leave them to repair damage we can fix today.”

Wales is the only country in the world with a Well-being of Future Generations Act, which has created shifts including a healthier transport strategy and a focus on well-being not just GDP. 

Progress on the law’s well-being goals are measured by national indicators including around healthy life expectancy and air pollution. The commissioner will highlight in the Senedd today that while some indicators show promising direction, the pace of progress remains slow and uneven. 

The commissioner will ask political parties to ensure their manifestoes respond to both current and future challenges — from climate and nature emergencies, health inequalities and economic pressures. 

In his evidence, the Commissioner will also call on the Senedd and newly elected members to establish a Committee for the Future, to strengthen scrutiny and raise public understanding of future-focused governance across Senedd and government business, based on similar bodies in Finland, Lithuania and other global legislatures.  

2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the Future Generations Commissioner’s role in Wales  and Mr Walker, now three years into the job, is changing how we look at food and health; has helped the UN follow Wales’ lead on futures thinking; challenged Welsh Government to stop coal mining for good, and put a focus on the value of culture.   

He’s also forced a change so that Welsh Government focuses on all types of pollution in all Welsh rivers, not just protected ones, has helped more Welsh vegetables be served on school dinners, and supported more businesses to improve well-being for future generations.  

Under the commissioner’s role to hold public bodies and decision makers accountable, his latest Future Generations Report makes 50 recommendations on safeguarding long-term well-being.   

Recommendations include a target in law for nature’s recovery; more involvement of people in shaping policies and building trust; a long-term plan to improve Wales’ food security and ensure equal access to local, affordable, healthy and sustainable diets; annual ringfenced prevention budgets and a Real Living Wage plan by every public body within two years, as a critical step to tackle poverty. 

Since the report was published, the number of public bodies accredited to the Real living Wage has increased by 30% and all 13 Public Service Boards (created under the law so that public bodies can better work together) are working on climate change risk assessments (another recommendation).