Biography
Sophie is the world’s only future generations commissioner with a remit set out in law as “the guardian of the interests of future generations in Wales”. Described by The Guardian as “the world’s first minister of the unborn”, her role is to provide advice to the government and public sector in Wales on delivering social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being for current and future generations.
Sophie has led high profile interventions that have secured fundamental changes to land use planning policy, major transport schemes and government policy on housing. She is an international speaker and TED presenter and has represented Wales at the UN the OECD and on a number of international forums, including chairing the Network of Institutions for Future Generations.
Before this she was the first deputy police and crime commissioner for South Wales, where she led programmes to tackle violent crime, reformed programmes on substance misuse and the first police programme designed to address childhood adversities.
She has served as an adviser to two Welsh First Ministers, providing policy advice on communities, local government and equality, overseeing Wales’ first significant intervention in local government and leading the development of Wales’ first legislation to tackle violence against women and girls. She has established two organisations from scratch and was in the final shortlist of three for the UK CIPFA Awards for Innovation 2018.
A councillor for nine years from the age of 21, Sophie wrote the 2009 Councillors Commission Report, which led to legislative reforms on increasing diversity amongst elected members. She has been described by the Big Issue Magazine as one of the UK’s leading changemakers, and was listed at No 5 in the BBC Women’s Power List 2020.
Sophie is also a fellow at Cardiff University Business School and Swansea University, and holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, an ILM coaching qualification and a degree in law and politics.
Twitter: @sophiehowe
