Meeting the Needs of Future Generations, Part 1 – Intergenerational Equity Explained

In this episode of Multilateralism UNpacked, UNU-CPR’s Daouia Chalali welcomes Professor Edith Brown Weiss of Georgetown University, one of the leading architects of the concept of intergenerational equity in international environmental law.

Their conversation revisits the ideas behind her landmark book In Fairness to Future Generations and explores how the principle of intergenerational equity has evolved over the past decades, and why considering the rights and wellbeing of future generations is increasingly urgent.

Drawing on legal cases, international agreements and national policies, Professor Brown Weiss reflects on how courts, governments and international institutions are beginning to translate this principle into practice and what more can be done to ensure that today’s decisions do not undermine the world inherited by future generations.

Together, they discuss how the UN system, policymakers and civil society can help build an “ecosystem for future generations,” embedding long-term thinking into global governance at a critical moment for people and the planet.

For more information:

1. Access new research on future generations
2. Access the Future Generations Platform