Jane Davidson

Catch Jane Davidson on Do Radio: It’s Not About Trees with John Lunn 1st - 7th June 2026.

Jane Davidson is a former Welsh Government minister, author and sustainability advocate best known for leading the creation of Wales’ landmark Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

During her political career, she held several ministerial roles in the Welsh Government, including responsibility for environment, sustainability, education and housing. She played a central role in embedding sustainable development into Welsh public policy and helped position Wales as an international leader in future generations thinking. Jane later chaired the Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group, exploring how Wales could accelerate a fair transition to a low-carbon future. Born in Birmingham and raised largely in Zimbabwe, her early experiences of nature, inequality and social justice have strongly shaped her worldview and public work. She is also the author of FutureGen: Lessons from a Small Country, which documents the story behind Wales becoming the first country in the world to place the UN Sustainable Development Goals into law.

Show Notes

In this episode, John Lunn speaks with Jane Davidson about systems change, future generations and the challenge of creating long-term political thinking in a short-term world.

Jane reflects on her journey from growing up in Zimbabwe to becoming one of the key architects behind Wales’ pioneering Wellbeing of Future Generations Act — legislation designed to embed long-term thinking, sustainability and collective wellbeing into government decision-making.

The conversation explores how environmental action has evolved since the late 2000s, and why climate and net zero have become increasingly politicised. Jane argues that evidence alone is not enough to drive change; people also need hope, vision and a sense of collective purpose.

A central theme is the idea of a “just transition” — ensuring that the move towards a low-carbon future improves people’s lives rather than leaving communities behind. From community energy and housing to education and food systems, the discussion focuses on how systemic change can create safer, fairer and more resilient societies.

Jane also reflects on leadership, political courage and the importance of cross-party collaboration in addressing long-term challenges. Throughout the episode, she returns to a simple but powerful idea: decisions made today shape the lives of generations still to come.

Despite growing political tension around climate issues, Jane remains hopeful that communities, technology and citizen action can still drive meaningful change.