About THE LECTURE

Can legislation protect future generations? From pioneering the UK’s first plastic bag charge to creating legislation that has been praised as a global model by the UN, Dr Jane Davidson’s career as a policymaker, educator, and environmental advocate demonstrates how bold ideas can lead to lasting change.

This lecture will discuss the ethics and values behind her approach to policymaking, drawing from her acclaimed book #futuregen: Lessons From a Small Country.

Dr Jane Davidson will explain how, as Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales, she proposed what became the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 – the first piece of legislation in history to put sustainability and future generations at the core of government decision-making. Lauded by the United Nations, this law has sparked global conversations about how governments can rethink democracy, tackle climate change, and foster long-term well-being.

At the lecture, you’ll gain insights into:
•  How sustainability became a core principle of Welsh governance.
•  The role of individual values in shaping policy decisions.
•  Practical ideas for embedding ethical, long-term thinking into public policy.
She’ll also share how her personal commitment to sustainability guides her daily life on a smallholding in west Wales, where she works to ‘live lightly on the land’.

Joining Dr Davidson are two Lancaster University academics:
Professor Rebecca Willis, a specialist in Energy and Climate Governance, will discuss how democracy must adapt to address today’s environmental challenges, and Dr Temidayo Eseonu, Lecturer in Policy and Politics, who will explore how we can create a more inclusive, participatory democracy where every voice matters - especially those often marginalised.

Together, they’ll all engage in a lively discussion about the future of democracy in the face of global social and environmental crises.

 About THE SPEAKER

Jane Davidson is the Chair of Wales Net Zero 2035 and the author of #futuregen: Lessons From a Small Country, the story of why Wales was the first country in the world to introduce legislation to protect future generations.  

She is Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Vice -President at Garden Organic and Patron of the UK Chartered Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Managers. 

From 2000 - 2011, she was Cabinet Minister for Education, then Environment and Sustainability in Wales where she proposed legislation to make sustainability the central organising principle of government: the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act came into law in 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 a Climate Change Commission for Wales, the post of Sustainable Futures Commissioner, and the Wales Coast Path. 

In education, she piloted major curriculum changes, the Foundation Phase for early years, the Welsh Baccalaureate and integrated Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship into the Welsh Curriculum. 

She is a RSA Fellow and occasionally guest faculty on the Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership Programme at Harvard University's TH Chan School of Public Health.  

She lives on a smallholding in west Wales where she aims to live lightly on the land. 

Links to LAncaster university

Professor Rebecca Willis, is a Professor in Energy & Climate Governance at Lancaster Environment Centre, where she leads the Climate Citizens  research group. She is an Expert Adviser to the Climate Change Committee, Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living Initiative and the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.

Dr Temidayo Eseonu is Lecturer in Politics and Policy at Lancaster University. Her research interests include new institutionalism in public policy and administration as well as critical race theory in public policy and administration.

Location

Health Innovation One
Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 4AT

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