Future Generations Governance

As the world gets closer to the 1.5°C warming limit set in the Paris Agreement, the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, and war has begun in Europe, we face many challenges which require taking a longer-term perspective. New governance approaches that bring future impacts into present decision-making, which ensure wellbeing and environmental protection not only for people living now, but create sustainable systems that ensure happy, healthy people and planet in the generations to come are needed. Institutions are essential in the pursuit of solutions as they shape policies that will have long-lasting impacts. 

In this project ZOE Institute supports the Network of Institutions for Future Generations (NIFG), a global network of different national institutions taking action to safeguard the interests, rights, and wellbeing of future generations. We are supporting NIFG in defining its new strategy, expanding its membership base, building relations with new national governments and supporting UN processes to bring future generations governance into their own processes. Future generations governance acknowledges the interlinked environmental, social and economic benefits of future-just policymaking, and works to bring a focus on long term impacts and challenges into policy decisions so that economic systems serve the interests and needs of both present and future generations.   

Facing the challenges of the next years will require an increase in ambition and commitments: the moment is ripe for a new kind of institution to deliver on the commitment to future generations. Building on the existing momentum, we push for long-term thinking, and the expansion of future generations institutions globally.