TED-Talk – Sophie Howe is the world’s only future generations commissioner

Lessons on leaving the world better than you found it

5:20 minutes · Countdown

Sophie Howe is the world’s only future generations commissioner, a new kind of government official tasked with advocating for the interests of generations to come and holding public institutions accountable for delivering long-term change. She describes some of the people-focused policies she’s helped implement in Wales, aimed at cutting carbon emissions, increasing sustainability and promoting well-being as a national goal.

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“The thickness of your skin shall be seven spans — which is to say that you shall be proof against anger, offensive actions, and criticism. […] Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground — the unborn of the future Nation.”