COVID-19 pandemic disturbs the schooling of children and teenagers. For young adults, planning of career and marriage is disrupted, too. The economic challenge is tremendous for graduands who—already burdened with educational debt—are seeking jobs commensurate with their competencies. Young parents struggle to survive.
In handling this huge national challenge, a consideration of a legal concept under the rubric “rights of future generations” may help. Contemporaneous moral philosophy calls it “the obligations to the future generations”. In chapter al-Nisa’, verse 9, the Qur’an warns, “And those (guardians) should be concerned about the fate of their weak children, in case they leave them behind, and they (guardians) should fear God, and speak words hitting the mark.”
Each generation is obliged to use natural resources with justice, as wastefulness leads to unsustainable futures. The mission of the Qur’an is to mould man to become “the servants of the Merciful — those who walk the earth in humility…and when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy, but choose a middle course between that” (al-Furqan, 25:67).
Indeed, each generation holds natural resources in trust from God, as the following Qur’anic verse implies: “Believe in God and His Messenger, and spend on others’ welfare, out of the property He has made you trustees” (al-Hadid, 57: 7). Every generation is allowed only “usufruct” of natural resources — a temporary right to the use, enjoyment and profits without damaging them that ultimately belongs to God. The term and condition of use—that the natural resources themselves must remain undiminished and uninjured in any way—ensures sustainability for future generation.
International community of scholars’ discourse on the obligations to future generations started in 1960’s. The idea spread widely, and on 12 November 1997 was enshrined in UNESCO’s “Declaration on the Responsibilities of the Present Generations towards Future Generations”.
Such international convention resolves to safeguard the well-being of future generations comprising many facets: basic needs, political liberty, family, ecology, biodiversity, culture, security, development, education and social fairness.
Well-being is more than just issues of national productivity and job opportunity, but also of public health, social interaction, learning culture, skill, housing, household finance and quality environment.
The “obligations to future generations” may function as tool, instrument, model and research program to ameliorate the society. National policy must consider how national plan and projects greatly impacting future generations.
In Wales, the concept was institutionalised as Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and appointment of Commissioner for Future Generations whose power is independent. The Commissioner’s mandate is to initiate new national policies based on sustainable development framework with the whole-of-government approach. A watershed document includes Manifesto for the Future, declared in 2020.
Hungary introduced Commission for Future Generations in 2008, while Finland established Parliamentary Committee for the Future in 1990’s in order to identify complex issues in the early phase of national policy plans that impact the future. This ethical-legal notion emphasises a just circulation of wealth. As the Qur’an cautions: “wealth should not circulate solely among the rich” (al-Hashr, 59: 7). The needy, indigent, deprived and vulnerable ones also had a right in national economy.
In the Qur’an, God severely denounces the condition of gross economic disparities as it is the most important issue to remedy at the heart of social discord. National economic resilience depends on fair and decent wages for dignified life; while promotion of entrepreneurship needs eradication of “rent-seeking” and “unearned incomes”. Present-day researchers recognise several important changes in current way of life in order to safeguard justice and sustainability for future generations.
Commitment towards a decrease in carbon emission needs to be translated to development of natural, renewable energy. Man and state need to alter to new technologies like solar panels and sustainable transportations. A reform towards sustainable food systems is a must—whether in terms of agricultural practises, food distribution, diet, or management of food waste.
Moreover, there must be a basic change in development policy towards economic growth within the parameter of “ecological civilization”. Contemporary discourse is enriched by such workable concepts of green economy, green-collar jobs, and sustainable business.
Scientific and technological progress is meaningless if it changes the ecosystem in a harmful way. Well-being refers to an improvement of quality of air and water, too; while rain harvesting needs to be harnessed. Materials for building must come from renewable or recycled resources; and a policy of neutral carbon or low carbon emission needs effective enforcement.
Management of waste needs planning in the context of promoting recycling, and at the same time decreasing domestic solid wastes in landfills. God says in the Qur’an, “Do not waste your wealth senselessly. Surely, the wasters are brothers of satans, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord” (al-Isra’, 17:26-27). Wasters are taking away God’s gift of sustenance from other creatures and thus creating unsustainable future.