The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) build on decades of efforts by countries and the United Nations (UN). At the Earth Summit in June 1992, over 178 countries supported Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan to build a global partnership for sustainable development. This partnership was designed to improve lives and protect the environment. In September 2000, Member States adopted the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the UN headquarters in New York. The summit identified eight MDGs to reduce extreme poverty by 2015. These goals were ambitious yet feasible and embodied basic human rights which encouraged global agreement between governments.
Aiming to build on the achievements and lessons learned from the MDGs era, Member States adopted the “The Future We Want” outcome document in 2012 and began a negotiation process on the post-2015 development agenda in January 2015. This culminated in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 during the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York. At the core of the 2030 Agenda was a set of 17 SDGs. The transition from MDGs to SDGs brought a multi-sector vision to life and contributed to 2015 being a monumental year of multilateral development and international policy shaping as major agreements such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change were adopted.
The creation of the 17 goals envisioned a world where all life can thrive. Goals would work towards ending poverty, hunger and disease and building peaceful, just and inclusive societies. They also sought to ensure equitable, inclusive and universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, clean water and nutrition, education, health care and housing.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals:
All 17 goals are working together to achieve an inclusive, sustainable and equitable world for all in every capacity. The SDGs are a global call to action to address social, economic and environmental challenges faced today, outlining specific targets and indicators that countries strive for. All member states track their progress, measuring their success in achieving the various targets. The Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) contributes to advocacy and outreach in the implementation of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda uses the DSDGs as a key role in the implementation, engagement and commitment of stakeholders to accomplishing these global goals.
SGDs are important in addressing global challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, poverty, inequality, peace and justice. In 2023, the need to advance the SDGs became more pronounced as the effects of climate change, cost of living and inequalities in health, economic and social outcomes persisted or were on the rise. The collaboration between Canada and governments worldwide is necessary to combat these challenges. Every member state is responsible for advancing the SDGs and it speaks to the interconnectedness of the Goals.
With climate change at the forefront and its effects evident across communities and beyond borders, many governments have worked towards limiting emissions and developing flood mapping, heat alerts and response systems. SDG 13, focused on climate action, is interlinked with other goals like SDG 3, good health and wellbeing, and SDG 5, gender equality. Canada’s National Adaptation Plan reflected this interconnection and captures efforts to create a safe, secure, and healthy future for all.
Partnerships are a crucial part of achieving the SDGs and working together leads to benefits such as healthier populations, sustainable environments and stronger economies. Individuals, governments, and organizations must continue to spread awareness, leverage digital technologies and collaborate to achieve the sustainable development goals.
As captured in the 2023 Global Health Impact Report, achieving the SDGs requires us to revisit our definition of “global health” to incorporate, not only health in low-and middle-income countries supported by international assistance and cooperation efforts, but also health and well-being in Canada.
Since adopting the 2030 Agenda in 2015, Canada has taken action to support and advance the SDGs. This has included efforts to promote gender equality, reduce poverty and support diversity and inclusion initiatives. Still, it is important to note that disparities persist and discrimination and systemic barriers are faced by racialized people in Canada, Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, 2SLGBTQI+ people and persons with disabilities.
Moving Forward Together: Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy outlines five key objectives to create an enabling environment and advance progress toward the 2030 Agenda:
These objectives serve as a roadmap to assist governments in strengthening, implementing, and crafting strategies to advance the SDGs. The federal government continues to use multiple forms of communication to engage with audiences and build awareness around the 2030 Agenda.
The development of a National School Food policy, informed by engagement with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and stakeholders, supports efforts to ensure children have access to nutritional food and aims to advance SDG 2, Zero hunger. A critical tool for understanding a community’s risk to flooding, flood maps provide valuable data on current and future flood risks. The Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping program aims to complete flood hazard maps of higher-risk areas in Canada and make this flood hazard information accessible.
SDG 7, Affordable and clean energy, (SDG 7) calls for the need for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. In 2023, The Government of Canada released the first progress report on the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan outlining progress toward the 2030 target of cutting emissions by 40 percent below 2005 levels.. As of 2021, renewable energy comprised a 23.8% share in the country’s total final energy consumption.
First Nations, Inuit and Métis disproportionately face the impacts of the climate crisis. Rapid climate change is affecting the ability of Indigenous communities to access and harvest food from their lands and waters. Extreme weather events and evacuations have short-term and long-term impacts on the physical and mental health of evacuees, with extensive consequences experienced by Indigenous peoples and communities due to colonization and structural inequities. Changes in the natural environment also result in significant changes to existing infrastructure – and compound prior inequities.
Indigenous Services Canada initiatives in support of the UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs include efforts to promote Indigenous knowledge, self-determination and community engagement in building resilience and finding sustainable solutions to climate-change related challenges. Announced by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in 2023, the launch of the Indigenous Leadership Fund aims to support of Indigenous-owned and -led renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-carbon heating projects.
Internationally, Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy has shaped the efforts of Canadian and local partners abroad to address poverty, food insecurity, the adverse impacts of climate change, and gender inequalities. Intersectional gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) further serves a key competency in developing programs and tailoring initiatives to better serve the needs of those most impacted.
Canadian organizations continue to prioritize the health of women, children and adolescents and support the achievement of the SDGs. Ongoing projects such as Building Community Resilience to Climate Change in Senegal are working to improve the resilience of vulnerable rural communities to climate change by taking community driven solutions that expand women’s role in decision-making processes and enhance forest carbon sinks by supporting agroforestry. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Access to Health Services for Women and Girls project in Kinshasa offered greater availability and use of primary health care services, including sexual and reproductive health. In 2022, 500 youth experiencing deafness or hearing loss, including 270 young women, received free family planning and STI services.
