Previous generations have planted olive trees they could never harvest the fruits of so that their descendants could live better lives. Similarly, we should facilitate that our grandchildren - and their grandchildren again - their lives will be as good as possible.
Many politicians think far too short-term. Among other things, it is because they are keen to win votes in the next election. It is important to correct for this and make politicians care more about the measures that can affect the long-term future in a good direction.
There are typically three reasons for political short-sightedness: we lack knowledge of the distant future, we naturally care more about the near than what happens in the future, and our institutions are designed to focus on the present, exemplified by our frequent elections.
To counteract short-sightedness, we should investigate and disseminate knowledge about the long-term effects of decisions and the moral reasons for caring about future generations. We also need institutional change to give a voice to those yet to be born.