Government of Canada: 2025 SDG Annual Report
SDGs Aligned:
Background
The Government of Canada (Government) publishes an annual report by the name of “Taking Action Together”. This report aims to provide an update on how Canada is working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the progress we are making towards achieving them by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Incorporation Breakdown
As part of Canada’s comprehensive strategy to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Government tracks the progress being made across all levels of government (provincial, territorial, etc.) according to the Canadian Indicator Framework. Every year, the United Nations’ High-level Political Forum determines five specific SDGs that should be prioritized for review in a given year. Based on these specific goals, the Government calls on the public to submit different projects, challenges, and progress that has been made so that they may be featured in this report. They also perform statistical analyses on different data and metrics based on specific indicators of the prioritized SDGs for that year. By doing this, the Government is able to quantify the progress being made.
The fantastic part about this example is that the Government incorporates stories into their reports. Often times when people are reading reports that are heavy with information, data, and statistics, it can be hard for them to digest everything in a meaningful way. By providing stories with narratives, it’s easier to paint a picture of what is being done, and how this effort is positively impacting the community (and thus progressing the goals). Another advantage to storytelling surrounds the emotional connection it brings out in people. If someone is able to feel an emotion and connect that with a lived/personal experience, they are far likely to remember that story, the information/data within, and its impact after they walk away from the report.
How can this example be repurposed?
This example can be repurposed from a number of angles. By embedding SDGs within the stories you are telling, you are bringing awareness to the contributions you are making towards the goals in a way that engages the reader more meaningfully. Tell stories about a particular project your organization is working on, or a program you are collaborating on with another charity. Speak passionately about the impact it’s making in the community, and how that also is helping advance the goals on a larger scale. You can also create some spaces in which you are able to tell stories related to SDGs. If you do not have the capacity or enough content to warrant the creation of an entire report based on your organizations contributions towards the SDGs, then that’s ok, there are other opportunities to share these stories. You can feature them in social media posts, or perhaps a news/blog post on your website. Include them in newsletters to your donors, or within an impact report to your board. Maybe include a new section in your Annual Report that highlights a project/program every year through the SDG lens. Lastly, you could lean on other local charities, academic institutions, or organizations who prioritize to/align with similar SDGs and collaborate on a new impact report. This way you can collectively gather stories, testimonies, data, initiatives, and event information so it’s not so much for you to handle alone.
If you need help identifying the goals you align with, you can use the quizzes within the Initiative Insights: SDG Navigator website, or you can reach out to your local Community Foundation or academic institution for additional guidance. This could also open the door for future collaboration or partnership opportunities too!