In conversation with Sophie Howe.
Thursday 20 April 2023
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM AEST
Online event
Zoom webinar
Wales was the first country to pass a Well-being of Future Generations Act in 2015. The Act has demanded long-term solutions to the country’s biggest challenges to improve the country’s social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being.
Hear from Ms Sophie Howe, the outgoing Welsh Future Generations Commissioner, described by The Guardian as the “World’s first minister of the Unborn”. She will candidly share lessons learnt in leading high-profile interventions in education reform, climate change, transport planning, and challenging the Government and others to demonstrate how they are taking account of future generations.
Embedding a future generations approach could transform policy development and create a more equitable and sustainable Australia. Join us in this discussion to learn how.
This event is hosted jointly by Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, UTS Law Health Justice, and Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion.
Sophie Howe
Sophie Howe was appointed as the first Future Generations Commissioner for Wales in 2016. Her role was to act as a guardian for the interests of future generations in Wales, and to support the public bodies listed in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 to work towards achieving the well-being goals. Prior to this, Sophie was the first Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales and the only woman to lead in this role in the country.
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer is the Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub, which helps policymakers solve policy problems through evidence-based collaboration with multidisciplinary experts. She is the founder of EveryGen, a coalition of multidisciplinary policy experts collaborating to create an equitable, just, and transformative path towards intergenerational justice.
Professor Michael Thomson
Professor Michael Thomson is Professor of Law at UTS and the University of Leeds. At UTS he is the Director of the Faculty’s research centre: Law Health Justice. He is also Convenor of the Women & Children’s Health Collaborative within INSIGHT, the university’s new health institute. His research spans health law, children’s rights, and legal and political theory. His current research with Professor Beth Goldblatt explores how to legislate for future generations.
The Hon. Professor Verity Firth AM
The Hon. Prof. Verity Firth AM is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Justice and Inclusion) at UTS. She served as Minister for Education and Training in New South Wales (2008–2011) and NSW Minister for Women (2007–2009). After leaving office, Verity was the Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation.
