Background to the Future Generations Act

When first introduced in 2012, the Bill which became the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (WFG(W) 2015) was labelled the 'sustainable development Bill', and that title gives some indication of its broad purpose. According to the First Minister, it was renamed the 'Future Generations Bill' to reflect some change in emphasis to include ideas of the social and economic aspects of sustainable development. Green groups argued that the change of name signalled a move away from environmental sustainability objectives set out in early consultations.

The emphasis on sustainable development in Welsh Government is not new. The Government of Wales Act 2006, s 79 places a duty on Welsh Government Ministers to establish a scheme setting out how they propose, in the exercise of their functions, to promote sustainable development. The Welsh Government's sustainable development scheme, 'One Wales: One Planet', sets out the National Assembly for Wales’ (the Assembly) approach to sustainable development. Launched in 2009,