Micro-Climate Blog: For the Well-Being of Future Generations
By Marcy Rockman, Lifting Rocks Climate and Heritage Consulting, for the SHA Climate Heritage Initiative
In 2015, the country of Wales passed its Well-Being of Future Generations Act with the purpose of improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales.
The Act sets out seven goals:
- A prosperous Wales
- A resilient Wales
- A healthier Wales
- A more equal Wales
- A Wales of cohesive communities
- A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language
- A globally responsible Wales
I will briefly jump up and down here, pointing out that culture is a clearly stated and fully equivalent part of this list, with the objective of helping to create and support “A society that promotes and protects culture, heritage and the Welsh language, and which encourages people to participate in the arts, and sports and recreation.”
The Act also charges each public sector and the bodies through which they work at local and national scales with working toward each of these goals. What this means is that heritage and culture bodies are not only responsible for heritage and culture, but also for linking their work with that of transportation, health, education, and others. In turn, these sectors are responsible for engaging and supporting heritage and culture in their work. It is an integrated vision that places care for heritage and culture as a key component of a sustainable future.
Today is Election Day in the US. If you have not yet voted, please do! And as writer Rebecca Solnit has eloquently said, “a vote isn’t a valentine, it is a chess move for the world you want to live in.” So I am sharing this as one possible direction in which it may be possible for us to go.
Featured Link: https://www.gov.wales/well-being-future-generations-act-essentials-html#
For a listing of all blog posts in this series, visit our Climate Heritage Initiative page.
Photo credit:
Graphic representation of the goals of the 2015 Well-Being of Future Generations Act (Wales) (published at Featured Link above).
