Official Bodies that Deal With the Needs of

Future Generations and Sustainable

Development

- Comparative Review -

Written by: Dr. Naama Teschner

Approved by: Yuval Vurgan, Team Leader 30 April 2013

The Knesset

Research and Information Center

The Knesset Research

and Information Center

Kiryat Ben-Gurion,

Jerusalem 91950

Phone: 02-6408240/1

Fax: 02-6496103

www.knesset.gov.il/mmm

1

This paper, written at the request of Knesset Member Boaz Toporovsky, is an up-to-date review

of official bodies that deal with the needs of future generations in several countries around the

world.1

The beginning of the paper presents a concise background of Israel’s Commission for Future

Generations. Afterwards the official bodies in countries that were surveyed are presented

according to their institutional affiliation – national-independent, parliamentary, and

governmental. Subsequently, two policy tools are presented that allow for implementation of

long-term thinking in policymaking. The appendix presents a partial list of primary issues on the

agenda of the UN today in the field of protecting the needs of future generations and promoting

principles of sustainable development.

In each country in which there are bodies that deal with the needs of future generations

apart from Sweden, Holland and Finland, this is done in the framework of working

towards sustainable development. The extent of the organizations’ authority varies from

country to country:

Most of the bodies are affiliated with the government and focus on providing opinions,

consultation and guidance to ministers and policymakers in government ministries to

formulate a vision and defined goals and operational strategies on environmental policy

in general, and conserving resources for the benefit of future generations in particular.

In some of the countries, such as Germany and Belgium, there are bodies that also

provide consultation services and expert opinions on such topics to members of

parliament. In New Zealand, there is a Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment

who provides information, consultation and recommendations to the Parliament and its

committees on laws that may affect the environment.

In New Zealand, Hungary and Canada there are commissions with investigative

authority, similar to the State Comptroller and Ombudsman in Israel.

These bodies do not have executive powers.

The bodies presented in this paper have a variety of goals, including:

To strengthen and increase the scientific knowledge base and contribute to long-term and

coherent thinking in policymaking processes, particularly on environmental issues,

conservation of resources for the use of future generations, and challenges facing the

country.

To serve as an integrative forum that strengthens the connection, dialogue and

cooperation between ministries and various levels of government (national-regional,

national-international), as well as with stakeholders and the general public.

1 This paper is an updated and extended version of the Knesset Research and Information Center’s previous study,

Parallel Bodies to the Commission for Future Generations – Comparative Study (in Hebrew), written by Yehuda Truan, October 3, 2006.

2

To encourage the development of future studies (futurism) and technological innovation.

To strengthen transparency in decision-making processes and increase public awareness

of the challenges of the future.

1. Introduction

In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) released the

Brundtland Report, which defined principles for sustainable development as development in the

present conducted in a manner that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet

their needs.2 In recent years, the concepts of 'sustainability' and 'sustainable policy-making'

present countries with the challenge of longer-term thinking than is generally accepted in

existing politics, as well as dealing with issues such as intergenerational justice.3

Different parliaments deal with challenges of the future differently. Some see the issue as

improving the ability of the country to respond to the pressures of local and global changes with

consolidated policy on various issues. Others maintain that these challenges, alongside the

importance of the Parliament as defending the democratic character of the country, require

changes to decision-making processes, meaning in the patterns of operation of the parliament and

its members.4 Thus, countries of the world have adopted different models for enshrining in

law the protection of the needs of future generations. 5

2. The Commission for Future Generations

A parliamentary body called the Commission for Future Generations (henceforth: the

Commission) operated in Israel from 2001 to 2006.

The Commission was established with an amendment to the Knesset Law. The amendment

provided the Commission for Future Generations with the authority to interfere in any bill that it

reasoned would have significant impact on future generations, and provide its opinion on the bill.

The Commission focused on raising the legislative branch’s awareness of the future 2 UN Documents, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future,

August 4th

1987. 3 Eilon Schwartz, “The Soft Crisis, or Sustainability and Humanity,” Sustainability: Vision, Values, Implementation

(in Hebrew), a joint publication of the Heschel Center and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2001, pages

27-28. 4 Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Parliament and Democracy in the 21

st century: A Guide to Good Practice,

Chapter 8 (Facing the Future), 2006. 5 Gil Dror, “Cancellation of the Commission for Future Generations - between politics and ethics,”

Ecology and Environment 3(2), pages 161-165.

In Norway, for example, commitment to future generations was enshrined in the constitution:

"Every person has a right to an environment that is conducive to health and to natural surroundings whose

productivity and diversity are preserved. Natural resources should be made use of on the basis of comprehensive

long-term considerations whereby this right will be safeguarded for future generations as well" (§110b

[Environment], Norway Constitution, translated version, The ICL edition).

3

consequences of legislation and secondary legislation in Israel in a variety of fields: the

environment, natural resources, science, development, education, health, the economy,

demography, planning and construction, quality of life, technology and law, as well as any issue

that the Knesset Constitution, Law & Justice Committee determined as having a significant

impact on future generations.6 The law determined that the Commission would provide data and

opinions on topics with particular interest to future generations, would provide its assessment of

bills in the bill’s explanations or as an appendix, would provide consultation to Members of

Knesset, be invited to deliberations in Knesset Committees, receive information from all

supervisory bodies and submit an annual report on its activities each year.7

The Commission would for example initiate conferences and workshops to increase public

awareness on the connection between air pollution and morbidity with the participation of

academic experts and deliberations in the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee.

When the Israel Clean Air Bill 5766-2005 was submitted, the Commission published a position

paper supporting the bill, which was attached to it.8 The Commission also initiated legislation,

including an attempt to promote legislation of the Basic Law: Sustainable Development.9

The Commission began operating in late 2001. In 2006, with the end of the term of the

Commission’s head, Judge (retd.) Shlomo Shoham, no new commissioner was appointed in

his stead and the Commission’s work ceased. In December 2010, a bill was approved in the

Knesset Plenum to dissolve the Commission.10

Members of Knesset raised two primary reasons for dissolution of the Commission during

deliberations on the topic: the cost of its operations and their feelings that the Commission

received too much authority to interfere in their work. For example, in the explanation to the

Knesset Bill (amendment – dissolution of the Knesset Commission for Future Generations)

5770-2010, it was argued that the “activity of the Knesset Commission for Future Generations in

addition to the above-listed departments [the Knesset Research and Information Center and the

Knesset Legal Department] create redundancy in costs which can be saved without detracting

from information provided to MKs.” While presenting the Bill for a second and third reading,

MK Yariv Levin noted that “it was a real failure when this bill [Knesset Law (amendment 14)

5761-2001] was passed and no proper differentiation was made between providing facts and a

spectrum of positions, and determining morally what is good and what is bad. This is exactly the

6 Commission for Future Generations, 2002 Annual Report obtained via the Freedom of Information Law 5758-

1998 (in Hebrew), accessed: 18 March 2013. 7 Knesset Law (Amendment No. 14), 5761-2001, section 8.

8 Shlomo Shoham, Future Intelligence and Sustainability: The Story of the Israeli Parliament's Commission for

Future Generations, Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2010. 9 The Knesset Commission for Future Generations, “The World as a Deposit for Our Children: Parliamentary

Activity for Sustainable Development” (in Hebrew), presentation, 13 July 2005. 10

Minutes of the 18th

Knesset, third parliamentary session, booklet 10, meeting 189, 13 December 2010.

4

difference between what we have at our service from the Research and Information Center,

which we must have, and depriving us of our role and interference in it by an external party.11

3. Comparative study of bodies that promote sustainable development

As stated, different types of bodies (independent, parliamentary and governmental)

designated to promote policies to protect the needs of future generations in particular and

principles of sustainable development in general operate in various countries throughout

the world.12

Of the countries surveyed below,13

only three (Hungary, Canada and New Zealand) have

commissions for sustainable development with a similar format to the Commission for Future

Generations that operated in Israel.14

The common terms for these bodies are commission or

council. The German Council for Sustainable Development, for example, is similar in

composition and institutional affiliation to the Israeli National Economic Council and its

consulting committee, that is, a central government-affiliated body.

The following is a comparative survey of bodies and institutions according to their

institutional affiliation (table 1), composition, goals and the policy tools by which their

goals are promoted.

11

Ibid, page 14422. During the House Committee’s meeting on 7 December 2010, committee chairman MK Yariv

Levin said that “alongside the dissolution of the Knesset Commission for Future Generations, the committee has

decided to request and guide the Research and Information Center to initiate, as it deems appropriate, providing facts

and consequences to the Knesset and its committees on the impact of legislation on future generations. This shall be

implemented in accordance with the guidelines of the Speaker of the Knesset, who is responsible for this issue”

(page 17). 12

The UN’s call to establish throughout the world institutions similar to the Commission for Future Generations:

Alice Vincent, Ombudspersons for Future Generations: Bringing Intergenerational Justice into the Heart of

Policymaking, UN Chronicle, June 11, 2012. Harvard Law School prepared a paper detailing a variety of

constitutional frameworks proposed for commissions for future generations: IHRC, Models for protecting the

environment for future generations, Harvard Law School, October 2008. 13

The information is based on EU countries’ responses to Germany’s petition to the ECPRD, no. 2039, June 28,

2012; the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) organizes 22 councils

from15 countries – official organizations with a regulative or operative mandate that provide professional and

scientific information to their governments; conversation with Nira Lamay, the former legal advisor to the

Commission for Future Generations, April 2, 2013; general survey via internet search engines. 14

In Israel, the term “commissioner” [Natziv in Hebrew] is used to describe the task of those appointed by

government bodies in various fields (for example, the Income Tax Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue

Commissioner, the Civil Service Commissioner, and in the past, the Water Commissioner). In comparison, the State

Comptroller also serves as the Ombudsman [“Public Complaints Commissioner” is the direction translation from

Hebrew], with the authority to clarify citizens’ complaints about government authorities and other governmental

bodies, including operations or institutions of the State and government companies, as well as their employees. In

practice, this position’s job description (like the IDF Ombudsman and the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commissioner) is closer to the English term “Ombudsman,” which means a person in an official position at the head

of an organization that investigates complaints against a company or institution, particularly public authorities. The

mandate according to which the Commission for Future Generations operated in Israel was wider and included

responding to appeals from the public.

5

Table 1: Countries by institutional affiliation of their official bodies

Affiliation Countries

National-independent Hungary, Canada, Australia, Wales

Parliamentary Finland, Germany, New Zealand

Governmental Sweden, Finland, Malta, Germany, Belgium, United States

3.1 Independent national bodies

Hungary

The Commission for Fundamental Rights (AJBH) is an independent national institution. The

commissioner – a citizen with a law degree – and his/her two deputies15

are selected by the

parliament at the recommendation of the president for a six-year term. The members of the

commission are specialist researchers in relevant fields. Until 2012 there were four separate

commissions in operation, including the Commission for Future Generations. They were

later unified and today operate as a single body whose goal is to defend human rights,

defend the rights of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups (children, the disabled, and

national minorities) and protect the interests of future generations. Apart from handling

public complaints regarding the violation of fundamental rights, the commissioner carries out

investigations at the initiative of the two deputy commissioners. If the commissioner does not

agree to investigate a proposed topic, s/he must inform the parliament of the reasons for this. The

commission has legal powers to demand information from a body being investigated, for the

purpose of determining the legal and factual background of the event. If the authority being

investigated does not cooperate, the commissioner notes this in the report submitted to the

parliament and the public. If an activity occurs that is harmful to the environment, the

commission is entitled to carry out field tests. The commissioner has parliamentary immunity.

The commissioner initiates legal examinations in cooperation with the constitutional court on

whether existing or proposed laws conform to basic laws; the commissioner is also entitled to

request that the court provide its assessment on whether they conform to international

conventions. The commissioner is entitled to present proposals to change the wording of

proposed laws on the basis of the examination’s findings. Nonetheless, the commission is not

entitled to investigate the activity of the parliament, the President of Hungary, the constitutional

court, the State Audit Office, the courts, or the Prosecution Service (except for the investigations

division).

15

One deputy commissioner is in charge of protecting the interests of future generations, and the other is responsible for protecting the interests of national groups.

6

The commission’s annual report provides statistical data on instances of violations of

fundamental rights in Hungary, and analysis of the physical planning and development policy

and projects that influence the quality of life of future generations.16

Canada

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD): an

independent national institution within the Office of the Auditor General. The Auditor General

appoints the commissioner. The commission’s members are environmental specialists. The goals

of the commission: to provide members of parliament with an independent and objective analysis

of the government’s efforts to promote the principles of sustainable development and

environmental protection; to supervise government ministries and ensure that they meet

sustainable development targets; to handle requests from citizens to receive environmental

account from government ministries (environmental petitions);17

to assess the quality of the

strategic plans of government ministries with respect to sustainable development, and their level

of implementation; to comment on the national sustainable development plan presented by the

Minister of the Environment, and on its conformance to existing standards. The commission

publishes an annual report on its activities.18

Australia – Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria

Offices of the commissioners for sustainability and the environment: there are commissions

in two states in Australia – Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria. These are

independent offices that operate with government funding, and each one has a commissioner

appointed for five years, and a number of employees. The environment minister appoints the

commissioner, by law. The offices’ areas of operation: reviewing environmental issues in the

state; informing government authorities regarding the state of the natural environment;

encouraging environmental decision-making processes and policies; expanding knowledge and

understanding of ecological issues and sustainable development; submitting regular reports on

16

Hungary’s response to Germany’s petition to the ECPRD, no. 2039, from July 4, 2012; Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, website of the commission (Hungary), last accessed: April 29, 2013. It is important to note that Hungary has been mentioned in the past (alongside Israel, when the Commission for Future Generations was in operation) and is mentioned today as an example of a country in which an independent body for the protection of the needs of future generations is in operation. See for example: World Future Council, Guardian for the future: How to include future generations in policymaking, December 2011. 17

Canadian citizens submit “environmental petitions” requests to the commissioner. They may concern any matter with an environmental aspect under the responsibility of an audited governmental body, as well as violations of laws, policies, regulations and their implementation, and demands to receive an explanation of how the government is handling a certain environmental issue (similar to the implementation in Israel of the Freedom of Information Act and appeals to the State Comptroller). 18

Office of the Auditor General of Canada, website of the Auditor General (Canada), last accessed: March 20, 2013.

7

the management of natural resources; providing consultation to local government authorities on

the principles of sustainable development.19

Wales (UK)

The Commissioner for Sustainable Futures: due to the cessation of government support for

the commission for sustainable development that operated in the past in England and Wales (see

section 4.3 below) the government of Wales established the commission, which is an

independent body whose role is to advise the government on policy and approaches for

implementing sustainable development, and to serve as a voice for future generations. The

commission also receives support from the sustainable development forum Cynnal Cymru – a

non-profit Welsh organization.20

3.2 Parliamentary bodies

In this section three countries with parliamentary bodies will be presented. In Finland and

Germany these are committees made up of members of parliament, while in New Zealand there

is a professional parliamentary body.

Finland

The Committee for the Future: a permanent parliamentary committee made up of 17 members

of parliament, along with a state employee serving as a specialist. The committee submits

comments on the future outlook prepared by the government, and analyzes policy documents in

areas that parliamentary committees are involved and that have an impact on the future. In

addition, the committee submits reviews to other parliamentary committees when requested to do

so. The committee initiates dialogue and develops stances on aspects related to the future,

especially on science and the influences of technology on society, by organizing regional

conferences on future outlooks in cooperation with the government.

The committee examines future studies and futurology research. During each term, the

committee chooses topics to focus on. The committee’s members visit other countries and

international conferences on science, technology, and innovation.21

Germany

Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development: a parliamentary committee

that is not one of the permanent committees, but that operates in parliament as an official body

19

Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, website of the commission (Australia), last accessed: April 4, 2013. 20

Llywodraeth Cymru Welsh Government, government website (Wales, UK); Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales, website of the forum for sustainable development in Wales, last accessed: April 23, 2013. 21

The committee for the Future, parliament website (Finland), last accessed: April 2, 2013; OECD Public Governance Reviews Finland: Working Together to Sustain Success, OECD Publishing, 2010.

8

made up of 22 members of parliament and 22 deputies appointed according to a party

representation arrangement. Its role: to promote long-term responsibility within the political

process; to construct a policymaking process for future generations; to support the work of

government institutions; to integrate parliamentary considerations with the national

environmental policy; to participate in setting goals; to oversee parliamentary activity in the area

of sustainable development; to collaborate with other parliaments; to write position papers and

policy recommendations relating to medium and long-term planning; to support public

discussion on the topic. The committee submits a report at least once every two years.22

New Zealand

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment: a professional parliamentary body headed

by a commissioner appointed for five years. The commissioner has a staff of 16 who provide

technical and administrative support. The main goals of the commission: to audit governmental

bodies in charge of managing the country’s resources; to investigate the level of efficiency of the

environmental planning and management of government authorities; to receive complaints from

the public regarding the environment and in certain circumstances to conduct investigations; to

investigate incidents with environmental consequences; to carry out investigations when

requested by parliament on matters that affect the environment; to provide information,

consultation, and recommendations to parliament and its committees regarding laws that affect

the environment; to submit the results of investigations to parliament. The committee has the

authority to subpoena witnesses and take testimony under oath. It should be noted that the

commissioner cannot cancel or change decisions made by governmental bodies.23

3.3 Governmental bodies

Sweden

The Commission on the Future of Sweden: a government body. The chairperson of the

Commission is the Prime Minister and the members are the heads of the political parties serving

in the government and nine public figures who are prominent in different fields. The goals of the

commission are to identify the critical challenges that the country will be facing in 2020-2050, to

research them and to provide a basis for decision-making processes that affect the future. The

Commission focuses on four areas: demography; equality and democracy; sustainable growth;

and identity and social values. It employs researchers in these fields who write articles and

reports, as well as prepare seminars. The Commission is obligated to include the public and

social organizations in a variety of manners (for example an active blog) and to distribute an

22

Parlementarischen Berat für nachhaltige Entwicklung, the website of the Bundestag (Germany), last accessed: March 24, 2013. 23

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, website of the commission (New Zealand), last accessed: April 2, 2013.

9

extensive report, with the support of the Prime Minister, which presents and analyzes long-term

challenges.24

Finland

The Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development: a government body, headed

by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment, whose goal is to contribute to long-term,

coherent and integrative thinking in national decision-making bodies. The forty-five members of

the Commission are representatives of the government, parliament, civil service, local

governments, the business and industrial sector, labor unions, social organizations, religious

figures and more. The Commission is appointed every five years. Its specific goals are to

promote sustainable development as a primary principle of national policy and public

administration, to encourage public dialogue on the environment, to support the development of

political agreement on controversial issues, to serve as a forum that connects groups of

stakeholders, and to promote dialogue that will lead to development of the annual national

strategic policy for sustainable development presented to the UNEP. In addition, the Commission

reconciles national policy with international sustainable development policy and leads an inter-

ministerial committee that meets eight to ten times a year.25

Malta

The Guardian of Future Generations: a government unit established through legislation,

subject to the Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment. The chairperson is appointed

by the Prime Minister and the members, who are experts in society, economics and the

environment, are appointed by the Minister. Its task is to promote implementation of the

Sustainable Development Act and national strategy for sustainable development and to serve as a

guardian and protector of the interests of the current generation and intergenerational needs in

Malta, to promote principles of sustainable development in policy and legislative processes, to

develop a scientific network in the field, to propose goals and targets to government bodies, to

encourage involvement of non-governmental bodies in promoting sustainable development, to

receive relevant policy proposals from the public, to receive information from any public body,

and to support decision-making that takes into account the needs of future generations.26

Germany

The German Council for Sustainable Development: a government-appointed council of

fifteen members, including public figures in key posts (member of a bank’s Board of Directors,

chairpersons of associations and non-profit organizations, former ministers and members of

24

Framtids Kommissionen, website of the commission, last accessed: April 10, 2013. 25

Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, the Commission’s website, last accessed: April 3,

2013. 26

Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit, government website, last accessed: April 3, 2013.

10

parliament, and academics in a variety of fields). Its goals include finding the proper balance

between the needs of the current generation and the needs of future generations, developing the

national strategy for sustainable development, proposing and promoting projects for its

implementation, and promoting dialogue and public awareness about sustainability. The Council

provides consultation, expert opinions and recommendations both to the Chancellor and the

Parliamentary Advisory Council for Sustainable Development mentioned above. Its aims are

promoting cooperation and dialogue with government ministers and senior officials at ministries,

members of parliament, representatives of industry and the wider public; initiating an annual

public conference at which the Chancellor presents the government’s strategic environmental

strategy; as well as publishing studies, opinion papers and press releases.27

Belgium

The Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FRDO-CFDD): an advisory

body to the government and parliament, established by law. The council’s members are

representatives of civil society, environmental organizations, consumer organizations and

experts. Representatives of the central government and regional governments participate in the

deliberations as observers. The tasks of the council are to advise the government and parliament,

when requested, about national policy on sustainable development; to initiate reviews; to

coordinate between bodies and serve as a cross-sector forum that encourages conversation on

sustainable development; and to increase public awareness by organizing round-tables and

symposiums. The council is divided into eight permanent working groups, each of which submits

reviews and reports. The council also keeps track of the implementation of Belgium’s

international obligations.28

The United States

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ): The National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) determines that the policy of the federal government is “to create and maintain

conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social,

economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.”29

The CEQ,

subject to the Office of the President, was established by this law. The council collects and

analyzes information and submits recommendations to the president on policy and achieving

long-term national goals on issues pertaining to the connection between the environment, health,

society and economy.30

27

The German Council for Sustainable Development, the council’s website, last accessed: March 24, 2013. 28

The Belgian Federal Council for Sustainable Development, the council’s website, last accessed: March 24, 2013. 29

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. § 4331(a). In addition, in the appendix to this act,

constitutional frameworks for protecting future generations are detailed: Appendix D: Examples of Domestic Legal

Frameworks to Protect Future Generations). 30

The Council on Environmental Quality, United States, last accessed: April 29, 2013.

11

In addition, this law requires that any federal bill that may impact physical quality of life must

include a statement regarding the irreversible uses of resources required to implement the law

and the relationship between the short-term and local use of the resources and the ability to

effectively utilize them over time.31

4. Extra-Governmental and Other Bodies

4.1 International organizations32

United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP: established in 1972 with the goal “to

provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring,

informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without

compromising that of future generations.” The UNEP assesses environmental conditions on a

global, regional, and local level, develops environmental tools, transfers information and

technology to promote sustainable development, strengthens bodies that manage environmental

resources, and encourages cooperation between the private sector and civil society.33

UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform: The United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development (Rio+20) decided in 2012 to replace the UN Commission on

Sustainable Development with a new institutional framework. The platform serves as high-level

international political forum whose goal is to track implementation of the Rio+20 decisions on

sustainable development. The forum will serve as a guiding body to world governments on

intentional sustainable development policy, determine the world agenda, coordinate UN

programs in the field and strengthen the connection of policy to science. Several additional

committees operate in the UN General Assembly such as the Economic and Financial Committee

(Second Committee), the Open Working Group of the General Assembly on Sustainable

Development, and the Expert Committee on a Sustainable Development Financing Strategy.34

The OECD: The group’s thirty-four members are democratic countries with free market

economies. The OECD collects and organizes comparative information and data on society,

technology, commerce and the environment, and thus enables the governments to compare

policy tools, locate solutions to joint problems, etc. In 2001 the OECD determined guiding

31

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. § 4321. 32

The central organizations that operate inside the UN will be listed below. In addition, we can mention the Inter-

Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international organization of legislative bodies founded in 1889 with the goal of

encouraging exchanges of information and experience between parliaments in order to strengthen democratic

principles. The IPU focuses on six issues: representative democracy; peace and world security; human rights;

women in politics; education, science and culture; and sustainable development. The IPU organizes conferences and

workshops and published reports. IPU, last accessed: April 4, 2013. 33

UNEP, last accessed: April 4, 2013. 34

UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, last accessed: April 11, 2013.

12

principles for sustainable development strategies, including ensuring the positive and sustainable

impact of proposed economic policy on future generations.35

4.2 The European Union

European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils: a forum for

cooperation between councils established by European governments to provide scientifically-

based independent advice on issues pertaining to the environment and sustainable development.

Cooperation between councils in Europe via the organization began in 1993, and today it has

twenty-two member councils from fifteen countries (some of which are reviewed in the above

chapter). The organization works towards information-sharing between European countries and

occasionally influences European Union policy.36

4.3 Non-governmental organizations

As stated, this paper focuses on official organizations that deal with the needs of future

generations. In addition, alongside such organizations non-governmental organizations operate

that focus on promoting national thinking on the needs of future generations. In England, for

example, following the dissolution of the Sustainable Development Commission,37

the Alliance

for Future Generations was formed to associate organizations with the goal of ensuring that long-

term thinking and the needs of future generations be integrated into policy-making processes.38

In Germany, a dominant think-tank called the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations

operates and publishes studies that connect between science, politics and commerce with the goal

of promoting awareness and information regarding intergenerational justice.39

5. Policy tools for implementing long-term thinking in government and

parliament

In addition to bodies with the stated purpose of sustainable development, several countries make

use of policy tools for implementing long-term thinking in decision-making processes. The

following are two examples.

35

OECD, The DAC Guidelines: Strategies for Sustainable Development, 2001. 36

EEAC, the organization’s website, last accessed: April 4, 2013. 37

The Commission operated in England until 2011 and was responsible for scrutinizing the government and

advising the prime minister and government ministers on sustainable development. The governing council had

fourteen commissioners from an academic, scientific or business background, or experience in the non-profit sector.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced in October 2010 that she was ceasing the

funding of the Commission as a body, and instead would work to embed principles of sustainable development into

government units. Source: Sustainable Development Commission, Commission’s archive website, last updated:

March 31, 2011. 38

Alliance for Future Generations, Alliance’s website, last accessed: April 4, 2013. 39

Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations, foundation’s website, last accessed: April 4, 2013.

13

5.1 Regulatory impact assessment

In several European countries (for example, England, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland)

regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) are used as a policy tool. The RIA is a mechanism for

assessing wide-ranging and future consequences of policy prior to its implementation.

Usually, the RIA is used during the process of policy formation in government ministries or via a

leading ministry, such as the Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development.40

5.2 Developing long-term scenarios

Forecast and assessment models for the physical state of the environment in the future have been

used for many years in decision-making processes. Using these models, the future can be

forecast based on assumptions regarding the rate of economic growth, globalization,

environmental standards, etc.41

Scenario building methodology is meant to assess future

possibilities, locate opportunities, and identify risks.

A prominent example of the use of this methodology in Israel is the Israel 2020 Project – a

national long-term project prepared by the Technion for the government and meant to sketch a

combined economic, social and environmental outlook on Israel’s physical development in the

21st century and point to policy tools for implementation. The principles sketched at the end of

this planning process were for the most part adopted by National Outline Plan 35.42

In addition, the recently-completed Sustainability 2030 Project was the product of cooperation

between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.

Development of the measures, scenarios and operative strategies was meant to enable decision-

makers in Israel to understand sustainability trends, locate the factors hindering the

implementation of a sustainable vision, and identify the paths that should be taken in order to

implement it. The scenarios were developed based on expert opinions on a number of central

topics: commerce and economy, land and space, the water market, the energy market, ecological

systems, sustainable management of raw materials for industry, etc.43

40

In 2010, Belgium adopted a law requiring preparation of a Sustainable Development Impact Assessment for every

government decision, bill, etc. Without such an assessment, the parliament cannot discuss a bill and the cabinet

cannot make decisions. Source: K. Jacob, A. L. Guske and V. von Prittwitz, "Consideration of Sustainability

Aspects in Policy Impact Assessment: An International Comparative Study of Innovations and Trends", Study

undertaken by the Freie Universität Berlin, January, 2011 41

Y. Garb, S. Pulver and S. D. VanDeveer, "Scenarios in society, society in scenarios: toward a social scientific

analysis of storyline-driven environmental modeling", Environmental Research Letters 3, 2008. 42

Adam Mazor, Israel 2020: Master Plan for Israel in the 21st Century (in Hebrew), Samuel Neaman Institute and

the Technion, published 1997. 43

Sustainability 2030, the project’s website, last accessed: April 11, 2013.

14

Appendix: examples of policy areas pertaining to future generations, with an

emphasis on sustainability

The following is a list of topics for which policy may have significant impact on future

generations. These topics and others are on the agenda of international organizations such as the

UN and the OECD:44

Eradicating poverty and encouraging green growth.

Ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Strengthening environmental governance (that is, state institutions’ ability to handle

environmental challenges), and strengthening the connection between social,

environmental and economic needs.

Strengthening the connection between policy and science, dealing with the long-term

consequences of technology, encouraging technological innovation to handle social-

environmental challenges.

Urbanization processes, urban quality of life and creating sustainable cities.

Protecting the coastal and marine environment and reducing pressure on it.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change and global warming.

Protecting biodiversity.

Decreasing morbidity caused by environmental hazards and chemicals.

Additional policy areas defined as “the challenges of the future”:

The following is a list of additional topics that the UN defines as global challenges of the future.

This list is partial and does not exhaust the global challenges covered by UN documents.45

Strengthening equal access to information and technological methods in education.

Increasing equal access to advanced healthcare systems and coping with aging

populations.

Ensuring personal safety and feelings of safety and protection from all kinds of violence,

especially for minority groups, women and children.

Empowering local population groups and communities.

Improving readiness and resilience to extreme natural events.

44

These topics and others are detailed in these documents, for example:

UN, Sustainable Development Issues Briefs, 2011-2012.

OECD, Work on the Environment 2013-2014, 2013. 45

These topics and others are detailed in the UN report on past successes and future challenges and in the UN

General Assembly document:

UN system task team on the post-2015 UN development agenda, Realizing the future we want for all: Report to the

Secretary-General, New-York, June 2012; UN General Assembly, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly:

66/288. The Future We Want, 11 September 2012, last accessed: April 29th

2013.