Who we are
The World Future Council (WFC) consists of 50 respected personalities from all five continents. They represent governments, parliaments, the arts, civil society, academia and the business world. Together they form a voice for the rights of future generations. The World Future Council is a charitable foundation reliant on donations.
To learn more about us watch our latest film:
Where we work
The World Future Council Foundation is a registered charity in Hamburg, Germany where its head office is located. Additionally, we have staff working in Geneva, London and Johannesburg.
How we work
We make politicians aware that they have an ethical responsibility to assess every decision-making process on the basis of how it will affect future generations. In close collaboration with civil society groups, members of parliament, governments, businesses and international organisations we research future just policies and legislation. We then advise political decision-makers, offer them tried and tested courses of action and support them in the concrete implementation of new policies. As an independent non-profit organisation with no interest in short-term profit or prestige, autonomous from governmental and institutional interests, our organisation enjoys the highest level of credibility in its political advocacy. To identify holistic solutions on a wide range of issues and to enable the application of these solutions, the WFC has created the following programmes:
- Future Justice
- Climate and Energy
- Sustainable Ecosystems
- Sustainable Economies
- Peace and Disarmament
What we want to achieve
The lifestyle in industrialised countries has led to people using up natural resources at a threatening pace. Consequently, our environment is being destroyed and the unequal distribution of wealth and natural resources is increasing. Humanity today is living and consuming at the price of future generations. The World Future Council works to safeguard the rights of future generations. Our aim is to pass on a healthy planet and just societies to our children and grandchildren.
What makes us unique
The WFC Councillors come from a vast variety of culturally and politically diverse countries and regions of the world. They are all united by the common trait of having achieved great things in their respective fields of work. This guarantees that the WFC can tackle the problems humankind faces, such as addressing climate change, in a holistic and inclusive manner and find solutions that consider the entire complexity of the problem. The aim of the WFC is to advise politicians to create frameworks that enable a fair and ecologically intact world for current and future generations. Our main focus is on political decision-makers. We support them with the goal of ensuring that their decisions and policies are always made with sustainability and intergenerational fairness in their minds.
How we finance our international work
The city of Hamburg and Hamburg entrepreneur Dr. Michael Otto provided initial funding for the period from 2007 to 2009. This has enabled the WFC to work effectively and professionally for the good of future generations. For us to continue our work in the years to come we are completely reliant on further donations by people who want to help us to protect the rights of future generations. We are committed to using donations conscientiously and utilize funds as efficiently as possible to realise our goal of creating a just and sustainable world.
