Summary
Highlights
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched and adopted in September 2015 by all 193 UN member states after a three-year consultation process involving over 8 million people. These 17 goals, with 300 underlying issues, represent a collective best guess at the most critical global challenges, aiming for fundamental planetary transformation over 12 years. They build upon, but significantly differ from, previous frameworks like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Unlike the MDGs, which focused on 'developing countries' and positioned Canada as a bilateral funder, the SDGs are a universal agenda, applicable both domestically and internationally. They recognize that many global challenges are also experienced at home. The SDGs also feature a far more robust data set with 169 targets and 230 indicators, demanding data disaggregation to ensure no one is left behind, especially marginalized populations. Failure to meet goals for any sub-population constitutes a failure of the overall agenda.
The SDGs break down silos across places, definitions, and issues. They offer a comprehensive definition of sustainability encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions, promoting policy coherence and interdepartmental participation. The framework was built with all sectors in mind, including significant early engagement from the private sector. Crucially, the SDGs establish a shared language and measurement system, allowing organizations globally to compare their work, identify gaps, and foster collaborative action.
Canada faces significant challenges in achieving the SDGs, with many areas marked as 'yellow' (work to do) or 'red' (failing) on a 'stoplight chart'. Statistics reveal high rates of poverty, violence against women, and persistent drinking water advisories in First Nations communities. Greenhouse gas emissions have also been rising. A 2018 Auditor General's report highlighted the federal government's slow progress, including a narrow interpretation of sustainable development, lack of governance structures, limited consultation, and an incomplete analysis of existing policies.
Despite earlier delays, Canada is catching up. For the first time, Canada will voluntarily report its progress to the UN, and Statistics Canada has been instrumental in developing a data framework and portal to track progress, with a significant budget allocation. The government's initial slowness has also spurred a surge in cross-sectoral networks and organizations nationwide, driving grassroots engagement and collaboration towards the SDGs. This growing momentum across government, communities, and national networks offers hope for accelerating progress towards 2030.