Sustainable development

A law has been introduced in Wales to ensure sustainable development is embedded at the heart of the public sector: The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.  

The legislation recognises that Wales and the world is facing a set of complex challenges, and that collective action needs to be taken now if we don't want to leave problems for future generations to deal with.  

Under the act, public bodies have a duty to deliver sustainable development. This means improving social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being by seeking to ensure ‘that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This is known as the Sustainable Development Principle.  

You can find out more by watching this short film: The Well-being of Future Generations  

The act requires us to set well-being objectives and describe the steps we will take to achieve them.  

We also must publish an annual report setting out the progress we have made to meet our objectives. 

Future Torfaen: A County Plan sets out the council’s nine Well-being Objectives. Our 9 Well-being Objectives for 2022/27 can be viewed here.

As well as the council’s individual duty to set our own well-being objectives, we also have a collective duty to come together through the Public Services Board, to set joint well-being objectives.  

Public Services Boards (PSBs) are statutory partnerships that bring together public services in an area to improve well-being, both now, and in the long term. PSB’s are required to assess the well-being of the area they cover, and form well-being plans on a five-year cycle.  

Gwent PSB’s Well-being Objectives and Well-being Plan can be viewed here. 

Councils have a duty to improve long-term well-being through the Well-being of Future Generations Act and we can’t do unless we work together to respond to the climate and nature emergencies.