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What is the added value of a Commissioner on Intergenerational Fairness?
On October 1st, the Network of Institutions and Leaders for Future Generations (NIFG) had the opportunity to meet Commissioner Micallef and his team to discuss the evolving Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness. The delegation represented EU member-state experts, who shared their experience regarding the most efficient methods to foster long-term governance.
The discussion explored the unique added value of the new EU Commissioner on Intergenerational Fairness. This new portfolio will present its agenda in the upcoming strategy. This document is therefore of crucial importance, despite being formally a non-binding policy document. Long-term questions are present in all the policy areas of the EU; thus, most Commissioners have tasks related to future generations.
Building blocks for the intergenerational fairness strategy 2# & 3#
To support the intergenerational fairness strategy process, our coalition is developing a series of Building Blocks: concise digests of key arguments and proposals we believe must be reflected in the final strategy.
The 2nd and the 3rd building blocks have been published in September on impact assessment and participatory processes.
Read our two page digests elaborating on the Future Risk Matrix – The FRM builds on quantitative, science-based scenarios that reflect plausible futures for key environmental and societal variables (such as climate, water stress, soil depletion, and social variables like demographic change, where long-term projections are reliable).
And how a well-designed participatory process should combine science-based foresight with robust participatory methods. For all participants in a deliberative process, it is essential to explore intergenerational trade-offs and reflect on them through multiple future scenarios.
Citizen panel on Intergenerational fairness happening this fall
The Citizen Panel on Intergenerational Fairness kicked off in September— and we were proud to be there, represented by Béla Kuslits as part of the Knowledge Committee. Bringing together 150 citizens from 27 EU member states, the panel explores what a truly intergenerationally fair Europe should look like. Supported by around 300 translators ensuring dialogue across nearly every EU language, the process stands as a remarkable example of participatory democracy in action.
The panel’s work continues over 3 weekends, 2 out of them in person in Brussels, 1 online. The results will culminate in a set of recommendations feeding into the EU Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness, led by Commissioner Glenn Micallef, who oversees Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport.
Support the call for a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations
As we celebrate the anniversary of the UN Declaration on Future Generations, voices from local communities to global platforms are coming together to demand decision-making that is inclusive, fair, and forward-looking. Appointing a champion – a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations – would serve as a dedicated advocate to ensure that the needs and rights of those yet to come are reflected in today’s policies.
Having an institutional champion for the future is not a luxury; it is essential to building a just and sustainable world.
Support the call by signing the petition!
10 years of Laudato Si’
The international community celebrates the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’ — a document whose relevance reaches far beyond the Catholic Church. Read and quoted by countless leaders and followers alike, it has become a global symbol of care for our common home, shedding light on humanity’s core challenges with refreshing sincerity.
The Raising Hope Conference in Castel Gandolfo, held October 1–3, paid tribute to the enduring legacy and growing importance of the encyclical’s message, a message that may resonate even more powerfully today than it did at its inception.
Since Laudato Si’ references future generations multiple times, we have compiled a summary of the passages that speak directly about them.
