Intergenerational fairness: Shaping policies fit for current and future generations
On 3rd July, the European Committee of the Regions Plenary adopted by a large majority the opinion on”Intergenerational Fairness: A Local and Regional Approach to Building Inclusive and Sustainable Societies” drafted by Greens Co-President Tine Radinja. This opinion represents a significant contribution to the EU’s first-ever strategy on Intergenerational Fairness and lays the groundwork for inclusive, future-proof and sustainable policies, that leave no generation behind.
“Today’s choices will shape tomorrow’s realities in our towns and regions.” said Tine Radinja. Intergenerational fairness is about ensuring that these choices do not compromise the ability of future generations to thrive. It requires embedding long-term thinking into policymaking and mainstreaming foresight at all levels of governance.
Central to this opinion is the call for greater participation and representation in public life to ensure that political decisions reflect youth perspectives and those of all generations. This means systematically consulting young people, adopting age diversity in decision-making and lowering the voting age to 16, to “build mutual understanding and a shared vision for the future”.
The Greens rapporteur also highlighted the need for inclusive, sustainable and transparent tax systems to prevent future generations from inheriting deepening social and economic inequalities. Economic growth must be balanced with social equity and environmental protection, adopting alternative indicators beyond GDP that better capture environmental impact, wealth distribution and long-term wellbeing, thus ensuring prosperity and fair opportunities across generations.
Most global problems, especially environmental ones, transcend generations. Future generations will bear consequences of environmental degradation, caused by excessive use of fossil fuels and the failure of the economic system to operate within planetary boundaries. However, as Tine Radinja stated: “No generation should bear the burden of the mistakes of the past”.