Jane Davidson

Biography

Dr Jane Davidson is Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sustainability and Engagement and Director of INSPIRE at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David which is on a journey to embed sustainability throughout the university’s culture, campus and curriculum. Jane has won a number of UK wide awards for this work.

From 2007- 2011, Jane was Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales where she proposed legislation to make sustainable development its central organising principle – the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act came into law in April 2015. She created a Welsh Climate Change Commission and Future Generations Commissioner, the 800 mile Wales coastpath, legislated on waste which has seen Wales become the lead recycling country in Britain and introduced the Welsh charge on carrier bags. She led on energy for the Silk Commission advocating the transfer of increased energy powers to Wales which is now in the recently published Government of Wales Act

From 2000 – 2007, Jane was Minister of Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills in Wales. She introduced major curriculum changes – the Foundation Phase and the Welsh Baccalaureate and integrated Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship into the Welsh curriculum.

Jane is a patron of the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and Tools for Self Reliance Wales(TFSR Cymru). She holds honorary fellowships from CIW (Chartered Institute of Waste), CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) and is a member of WWF’s UK Council of Ambassadors. She has recently become a RSA Fellow.

Jane says “Sustainability needs to be at the heart of how we do business. We cannot continue to use more resources than our one planet can support.”

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