ALBERTA SDG NETWORK
Recent noteworthy SDG articles, publications, and events...
Last updated 10 May 2021
Auditor's Report on the Canadian Federal Government's Progress on the SDGs
In April, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development issued its audit report on the federal government's progress on the SDGs. Specifically, the audit examined the government's programs and actions in support of the goals of No Poverty (Goal 1), Gender Equality (Goal 5), and Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8).
The audit found that while the government has laid some foundational blocks for achieving the SDGs, much work remains to enable national collaboration—among all levels of government and non-governmental stakeholders—to support achieving Canada’s goals and targets by 2030.
Report: Vulnerable Canadians and the SDGs
Earlier this month, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) released a report called Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation. The authors noted that while most Canadians enjoy a high standard of living, numerous groups are being left behind in the country, in particular Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), recent and elderly immigrants, people with disabilities, lone-parent households, and members of the LGBTQ community. The factors that burden these groups are similarly diverse and the challenges for measuring their well-being relate to the empowering them in the data collection process as well as the specific risk factors they face.
Kelowna's Voluntary Local Review
The British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) and the Global Empowerment Coalition of the Central Okanagan (GECCO) recently released a report called Global Goals, Local Action: Kelowna’s Voluntary Local Review. This report is a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) for the community of Kelowna, and one of the first of its kind in Canada. The researchers narrowed down the SDGs’ 169 targets and 232 indicators to 28 community-level indicators that are outcomes-based, quantifiable, measurable, and localized to the geographical and cultural context of Kelowna, BC.
2021 SDG Impact Rankings for Canadian Universities
In April, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for 2021 were released, ranking universities from around the world on their contributions towards achieving the SDGs. Queen’s University is the top ranking Canadian institution this year at 5th place, while the University of Calgary tied for 43rd spot and the University of Alberta tied for 64th. In total, seven Canadian universities are included in the top 50 best performing global institutions.
