The Health and Sustainability Hub supports Public Health Wales to meet its duties under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. It also works with the wider public health community and stakeholder organisations to maximise the opportunities provided by the Act to improve health and well-being and reduce inequalities.
You can engage with the work of the Hub by e-mailing: [email protected]
We welcome calls and correspondence in Welsh. We will respond in Welsh without delay.
Our work
What we do:
The ‘Health and Sustainability Hub’ has several supporting roles in maximising the opportunities for public health from this pioneering legislation.
The Hub’s programmes of work include supporting Public Health Wales, as a public body in the Act, with its contribution towards each of the well-being goals, and in applying the sustainable development principle, to become an exemplar, championing and sustainable organisation.
In addition to this, the Hub supports the wider public health system in its role on the Public Services Boards to enhance the potential to improve health and well-being.
The Hub works with and supports other public bodies and cross-sector stakeholder organisations to strengthen the impact of the Act on public health, including environmental sustainability.
What we have done:
Recent work has included supporting the development of a Health Impact Assessment on the potential health implications of home working and supporting the development of the International Horizon Scanning and Learning reports to inform Wales’ Covid-19 Public Health Response and Recovery in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Work has also included presenting a webinar to our partners in the Netherlands to share Wales’ experience and learning around the Sustainable Development Goals and developing an online workshop to support teams and individuals within public bodies to identify and reduce their impact on the environment.
Current work is in areas such as climate change in Wales, developing e-briefings to support a Covid-19 green recovery by identifying opportunities to support priority areas, working with key stakeholders in Wales and Europe in the Joint Action on Health Equity Europe (JAHEE) Programme and continuing to support the development of the International Horizon Scanning reports.
Resources for Sustainable Health
Helping organisations and individuals to consider the natural environment and the health of the planet and people in everything they do. The Resources for Sustainable Health e-catalogue gives a brief summary of all the resources produced by the Health and Sustainability Hub. The resources promoted in the e-catalogue will help teams and individuals reduce their impact on the environment and climate change, and encourage sustainable behaviour in both their work and home life. The resources are a mixture of e-briefs, reports and toolkits, which bring together research, ideas, suggestions and practical actions. Some are aimed at individual or team level, some at organisation, national, or international policy level, to support sustainability, improve health and well-being, help embed the Well-being of Future Generations Act and reduce our impact on the planet.
SIFT Healthy Environment Workshop
The SIFT Healthy Environment workshop provides an opportunity for teams to identify their environmental impacts and do something to reduce them. It not only looks at the activity of the whole team but also of the individuals that form the team. The SIFT Healthy Environment workshop is based on four strategic themes (decarbonisation, biodiversity, zero waste and climate change) to enable teams to develop an action plan to reduce their environmental impact and contribute to any existing environmental management systems within their organisation.
Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Report 2022
The first Public Health Wales’ ‘Biodiversity Duty report’ was published in 2019, in response to the enhanced biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty under Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. The duty requires public authorities to “maintain and enhance biodiversity (so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of their functions) and in doing so promote the resilience of ecosystems”. In 2023 we have published an updated Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Report outlining the steps Public Health Wales is taking to promote biodiversity, highlighting progress made between 2019 and 2022 including against actions identified in our Biodiversity Action Plan, Making Space for Nature.
Cutting our Carbon Emissions
This infographic explains why climate change is a significant threat to health. It includes facts about climate change and suggests actions we can all take to reduce our impact to help protect human health as well as the health of the planet.
Green Opportunities Spring/ Summer 2022
Green Opportunities is a new e-briefing from the Health and Sustainability Hub. The quarterly updates capture learning to aid Wales’ green recovery from COVID-19, identifying sustainable opportunities to support population health.
Step Change for a Sustainable Planet: Implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – A toolkit for global organisations
The Step Change for a Sustainable Planet toolkit was developed as part of the response by the Health and Sustainability Hub in Public Health Wales to take clear and positive action to help organisations and their staff respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) Providing information and knowledge, the toolkit also supports…
Be the Change Well-being Goals Challenge
The Well-being Goals Challenge sets out six separate behaviour change challenges that inspire us to act to live more sustainably. They are designed to be undertaken on your own, with your team mates or as a team to team challenge. Drawing on Wales’ Well-being Goals and the wider United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the challenges focus on Slow Fashion, Plant-based Diet, Towards Zero Waste, Healthy Travel, Ethical Consumer and Supporting Wildlife, with sustainable steps provided to guide you on your challenge journey.
Be the Change – Sustainable Home and Agile Working
We are living in a fast-changing and uncertain world, in the time of a global climate emergency and a global pandemic, which highlight the importance of acting and living sustainably to preserve and protect our world for both current and future generations. Covid-19 has changed the way people live and work, instigating an immediate reorientation to home working, where feasible and providing opportunities to live more sustainably. For those who are able to work from home, the rapid shift to home and agile working has brought both positives and negatives, some more challenging than others. This e-guide will help individuals take sustainable steps while working at home to reduce their impact on the environment.
Helping Nature to Flourish
Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts mow likely on people around the world. Our health and well-being depends upon a healthy environment, which includes using our natural resources in a sustainable way and supporting biodiversity. This e-guide will help individuals take action for biodiversity at every opportunity to reverse its decline in Wales and globally, for its intrinsic value, and to secure our own well-being.
Health and Sustainability Hub Team:
Eurgain Powell
Programme ManagerEurgain is the Sustainable Development Programme Manager within Public Health Wales’ Health and Sustainability Hub. She joined in March 2022 and her role is to support the implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, through sustainability and climate change initiatives. Before joining the Hub, Eurgain worked as Change Maker for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales leading work on decarbonisation, transport and procurement, influencing key Welsh Government strategies and decisions. She has worked in a range of organisations including the Climate Change Commission for Wales, Forum for the Future and Carmarthenshire County Council taking forward sustainability and climate change projects. Eurgain is very passionate about making a difference and protecting our planet for future generations. When not working she’s busy with local sustainability projects and enjoys spending time in nature, running, cycling and walking her dog.
Tracy Evans
Senior Sustainable Development OfficerTracy is the Senior Sustainable Development Officer in the Hub. She is working to raise awareness and understanding of sustainability and biodiversity to support Wales’ well-being goals and achieve a more sustainable future. Before joining Public Health Wales in 2020, Tracy worked for Caerphilly County Borough Council in a variety of policy and sustainability roles. Outside of work, Tracy enjoys walking and mountain biking.