Three proposals for longer-term policies

Summary

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Two-thirds of today's Norwegians did not have the right to vote when the Brundtland Commission pointed out in 1987 how future generations would be affected by the environmental degradation of the time. Those who could not vote then, or were not born, are nevertheless influenced today by the policies pursued then. Similarly, today's decisions can dramatically affect the lives of future generations. Today's politicians therefore have a responsibility to think about the long-term consequences of the choices they make.

A lot of politics is about what happens in the here and now, with little attention directed to what happens after the next election term. To ensure the future welfare of ourselves and future generations, we need long-term institutions and systems that can correct for human and political short-sightedness. Fortunately, Norway is well positioned to achieve this, with well-functioning institutions, an independent and professional bureaucracy, strong academic communities and a tradition of thinking long-term. The Action Rule, the seed vault in Svalbard and the world's first child ombudsman are some examples of the latter.

This report launches three measures to make Norwegian policy more long-term:

1. Create a future representative to safeguard the interests of future generations.

2. Amend the Constitution to make it clear that we not only have a duty to safeguard a healthy natural environment for future generations, but also that we have a duty to ensure that future generations have an acceptable standard of living.

3. That every four years the government puts forward a message to Parliament on long-term threats.

Please quote the memo as follows: “Borgar Jølstad, Johannes Bangum and Aksel Braanen Sterri: Three proposals for longer-term policies. Note. Issue 1 | November 2023. Center for Long-Term Policy.”

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