Reflecting on 2024: Challenges, Achievements, and the Road Ahead
UN Global Compact Network Canada
Canadian Local Network of the UN Global Compact, working with businesses to accelerate progress on #GlobalGoals
As the holiday season approaches, it’s a time to pause and reflect on the transformative events of the past year. In 2024, Canada and the world faced challenges that tested our resilience and called for decisive action. Displaced persons, involuntary migration, armed conflict, and multiple environmental crises threatened ecosystems and livelihoods. A slowdown of GDP in half the world’s most vulnerable countries further hindered growth, exacerbated by an SDG investment gap and the underrepresentation of these countries in global decision-making. Decelerated progress in global health impacted communities worldwide, while misinformation, disinformation, and cyber insecurity challenged the foundations of democracy and data-driven decision-making.
In Canada, we saw firsthand the impact of these global trends: devastating floods and wildfires, economic instability influencing pricing and employment, and mounting pressures on the healthcare system. These challenges were further magnified by pervasive racial, gender, and economic inequities, even within a country as diverse and progressive as Canada. This is both the context for business and its call to action. Business has an outsized influence and is uniquely positioned to drive transformative change. The success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on how businesses operate and the decisions they make, guided by the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. These principles, spanning human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, provide a universal framework for responsible business practices. By embracing these principles, businesses can accelerate progress—delivering impactful change in areas they are best positioned to influence and driving meaningful contributions to the Global Goals.?
This year, I had the privilege of witnessing these efforts firsthand. From Vancouver to Montreal, Canadian companies embraced their role as changemakers, creating momentum for a sustainable future. Highlights included:
These moments underscored the immense potential of Canadian companies in UN Global Compact Network Canada to drive meaningful change.
As we look toward 2025, the UN Global Compact has identified five cross-cutting priorities where businesses can accelerate their impact on the SDGs: Gender Equality, Living Wage, Climate Action, Water Resilience, and Financing & Investment. We call this the Forward Faster initiative and are calling on companies to focus efforts in these areas to catalyze transformative action that supports all 17 SDGs.
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In Canada, we are aligning our 2025 programming with both the Forward Faster targets and feedback shared by our participants. These offerings will empower companies to make and maintain bold, ambitious commitments to sustainability and responsibility, meeting the aspirations of investors, employees, and customers to lead in sustainability and growth.
As we close the year, we celebrate both the achievements and the resilience demonstrated in the face of global challenges. Looking ahead, 2025 offers an opportunity to deepen our commitments and catalyze business-led change. Let us continue to work together to advance a purpose beyond profit and create a more sustainable, equitable future for all.
Happy holidays, and thank you for being part of this journey.
Elizabeth Dove , Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Canada