Reports

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Found 13 Results
Report

With democracy becoming an endangered species, is sustainability in peril?

Published:
Author(s):
In 2008, Sara Parkin wrote a ‘provocation’ for the Foundation for Democracy and Sustainable Development: “Are Political Parties getting in the way of the sort of collaborative democracy we need to tackle sustainability? If so, what can we do about it?” Ten years later, she revisits her thinking "in the light", she says "of the corruption of our current democratic systems".
Report

Implications of the Budapest Water Summit 2016 for water governance and democracy

Author(s):
The theme of the Budapest Water Summit 2016 was that Water Connects across all of sustainable development and across geographies. But to ensure against future conflict and scarcity, the messages and recommendations from the event also highlighted how we need to rethink and create governance models within and across countries.
Report

Can participation improve environmental governance? Lessons from European water management

Published:
It is increasingly argued that involving stakeholders and the wider public in planning and decision making leads to more effective environmental governance. But the impact of such participatory planning in practice remains unclear. In this report, the authors compare the impact of different approaches to participatory planning under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) using […]
Report

Democracy in the face of climate change: exploring the present, 2050, and beyond

Published:
Author(s):
This report summarises and updates the analysis and practical implications of previous FDSD work on the The Future of Democracy in the Face of Climate Change. It investigates the links between democracy and climate change, as well as the drivers of change that might impact on that relationship over time. The result of that analysis is a series of […]
Report

Thinking systemically about deliberative democracy and climate change

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Author(s):
This report suggests that deliberative democracy is a collaborative and effective way to develop the concerted, ambitious and creative action needed to respond to climate change. Drawing on the work of Alberta Climate Dialogue (ABCD) in organizing mini-publics, it argues, however, that in order to achieve these aims, deliberative approaches need to adopt the tools of system design and thinking to enable people to better understand complex problems and implement action through experimentation and learning.
Report

The Democratic Case for an Office for Future Generations

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Author(s):
An Office for Future Generations is an independent institution designed to promote long-term interests in the political process. A small number of examples exist in countries such as Hungary – and very soon Wales. This report, first published in 2015, supports the development of such Offices, but stresses the importance of considering their democratic characteristics. […]
Report

Voluntary Social and Environmental Standards and Public Governance: Reviewing the evidence and setting principles for standards-setters

Published:
This paper reviews the literature on the drivers of voluntary social and environmental standards-setting, their relationship with the multilateral trading system, the link with national public authorities, as well as suggesting implications for the roles of public sector actors in corporate social responsibility.
Report

Committing to the future we want: a High Commissioner for Future Generations at Rio+20, Discussion Paper

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Author(s):
Halina Ward built on The Mandate of a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations to further outline powers and responsibilities, building on commitments that UN member states have already made; how the role might evolve over time; and where it could be sited.
Report

The Mandate of a UN High Commissioner for Future Generations

Published:
Published by FDSD and the World Future Council, this paper was written to help UN member states and international organisations prepare for “Rio+20”, the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, suggesting specific powers and responsibilities.
Report

The Future of Democracy in the Face of Climate Change

Published:
Author(s):
These five reports explore How might democracy and participatory decision-making have evolved to cope with the challenges of climate change by the years 2050 and 2100?, resulting in four scenarios and their implications.

Latest News & Comment

Wales—A Well-Being Nation 

Wales—A Well-Being Nation 

In this article, Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner of Wales, sets out his Office’s new seven year strategy, arguing that the WfG Act has to now “work harder and faster”, even though, at the same time as public finances, including his own office, are under severe pressure.

FDSD Newsletter, Autumn 2023

FDSD Newsletter, Autumn 2023

From national to local level, Scotland is rethinking how its policy, and participation practices, can better reflect sustainable development, wellbeing, and the needs of future generations. This FDSD newsletter showcases some of the activities that are happening, or are being considered.

Deepening Democracy for the Long Term | By Graham Smith

Deepening Democracy for the Long Term | By Graham Smith

The public’s perspectives on future generations are highly structured by the context in which they are articulated. A long-term perspective is rarely taken by people when they make immediate and everyday decisions – with the exception of those motivated by ‘lifetime-transcending interests’.

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