Sophie Howe
Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
With a remit set out in law to be “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales”, Sophie Howe is the world’s only Future Generations Commissioner. Her role is to provide advice to the Government and other public bodies in Wales on delivering social, economic, environmental and
cultural well-being for current and future generations and assessing and reporting on how they are delivering.
Sophie took up post in 2016 and has led high profile interventions around transport planning, education reform and climate change challenging the Government and others to demonstrate how they are taking account of future generations. Her interventions have secured fundamental changes to land use planning policy, major transport schemes and Government policy on housing – ensuring that decisions taken today are fit for the future. She has represented Wales at the UN, the OECD, the World Government Summit in Dubai and on a number of International Forums including Chairing the
Network of Institutions for Future Generation.
Prior to this role, Sophie was the first Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales and the only woman in a police commissioner leadership role in Wales. In this role, she led programmes to tackle violent crime and violence against women and girls, focusing on early intervention and partnership working particularly with health. She reformed programmes on substance misuse and offender management and led a review of women in policing as well the Force's work to increase recruitment of black and monitory ethnic officers and staff.
Sophie served as a Government Special Adviser from 2009-2013 providing policy and political advice on communities, local government, community safety, housing, regeneration and equality to the Cabinet and First Minister. With a background in equality and diversity having managed the legal department in the Equal Opportunities Commission and subsequently as a policy adviser in the Equality and Human Right Commission, Sophie chaired and wrote the report of the Councillors Commission Expert Panel on increasing diversity in Local Government.
Sophie served as a County councillor in Cardiff - having been elected at the age of 21 she became the youngest Councillor in Wales. During her nine years as a Councillor she was Deputy Leader of the Opposition for a period, as well as a member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny and planning Committees. She is currently a member of the Wales Committee of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is Chair of the international Network of Institutions for Future Generations.
With a remit set out in law to be “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales”, Sophie Howe is the world’s only Future Generations Commissioner. Her role is to provide advice to the Government and other public bodies in Wales on delivering social, economic, environmental and
cultural well-being for current and future generations and assessing and reporting on how they are delivering.
Sophie took up post in 2016 and has led high profile interventions around transport planning, education reform and climate change challenging the Government and others to demonstrate how they are taking account of future generations. Her interventions have secured fundamental changes to land use planning policy, major transport schemes and Government policy on housing – ensuring that decisions taken today are fit for the future. She has represented Wales at the UN, the OECD, the World Government Summit in Dubai and on a number of International Forums including Chairing the
Network of Institutions for Future Generation.
Prior to this role, Sophie was the first Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales and the only woman in a police commissioner leadership role in Wales. In this role, she led programmes to tackle violent crime and violence against women and girls, focusing on early intervention and partnership working particularly with health. She reformed programmes on substance misuse and offender management and led a review of women in policing as well the Force's work to increase recruitment of black and monitory ethnic officers and staff.
Sophie served as a Government Special Adviser from 2009-2013 providing policy and political advice on communities, local government, community safety, housing, regeneration and equality to the Cabinet and First Minister. With a background in equality and diversity having managed the legal department in the Equal Opportunities Commission and subsequently as a policy adviser in the Equality and Human Right Commission, Sophie chaired and wrote the report of the Councillors Commission Expert Panel on increasing diversity in Local Government.
Sophie served as a County councillor in Cardiff - having been elected at the age of 21 she became the youngest Councillor in Wales. During her nine years as a Councillor she was Deputy Leader of the Opposition for a period, as well as a member of the Children and Young People Scrutiny and planning Committees. She is currently a member of the Wales Committee of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and is Chair of the international Network of Institutions for Future Generations.