#futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country, reviewed

Review of #futuregen : Lessons from a Small Country by Jane Davidson. Available from Chelsea Green here. 

In #futuregen, Jane Davidson explains how, as Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales, she proposed the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015—the first piece of legislation on Earth to place regenerative and sustainable practice at the heart of government. Unparalleled in its scope and vision, the Act connects environmental and social health and looks to solve complex issues such as poverty, education and unemployment.

Davidson reveals how and why such groundbreaking legislation was forged in Wales—once reliant on its coal, iron and steel industries—and explores how the shift from economic growth to sustainable growth is creating new opportunities for communities and governments all over the world.

#futuregen is the inspiring story of a small, pioneering nation discovering prosperity through its vast natural beauty, renewable energy resources and resilient communities. It’s a living, breathing prototype for local and global leaders as proof of what is possible in the fight for a sustainable future.

#futuregen Lessons from a Small Country, reviewed

This is a positive and interesting book, who knew Wales was doing so many positive things. We are fans of CAT, the Centre for Alternative Technology, and Wales has some beautiful locations, but this book is a great guide to a conscious and intentional strategy to plan for the future and make Wales a more sustainable place.

Jane Davidson, the author, does address concerns and questions about whether Wales is too small to offer relevant insights for other countries around the world. However in many ways it is the New Zealands, Singapores, Finlands and Israels among others that are leading the way in innovative approaches to dealing with climate change and making our planet a better place to live. Davidson explains how they have identified, addressed and planned to get Wales to a better place.

In many ways during this recent lockdown period it has been a clear demonstration that local and small are actually the smartest way to identify what the issues are, and to create locally appropriate solutions. #futuregen is an inspiring case study, and a smart read for other locales, small countries, and even large ones to move forward in a positive and sustainable way.

About Jane Davidson

Jane Davidson is Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and chairs the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission’s Wales Inquiry. From 2000–2011, she was Minister for Education, then Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in the Welsh Government where she proposed legislation to make sustainable development its central organising principle; the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act came into law in April 2015.

She introduced the first plastic bag charge in the UK, and her recycling regulations took Wales to third best in the world. She created the Climate Change Commission for Wales, the post of Sustainable Futures Commissioner and the Wales Coast Path. In education, she piloted major curriculum changes for early years – the Foundation Phase, the Welsh Baccalaureate and integrated Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship – into the Welsh curriculum. Jane is a patron of the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and Tools for Self Reliance (TFSR Cymru).

She holds honorary fellowships from WWF, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. Jane is chair of the RSA in Wales and in 2017 was guest faculty on the Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership programme at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She lives on a smallholding in west Wales where she aims to live lightly on the land.

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