Sunday, April 26, 2020

Canada and SDG 9: Blog 7


Let’s talk about Canada. Canada is the second-largest country in the world after Russia. Canada roughly occupies the northern two-fifths of the continent of North America. Despite Canada’s size, the population of the country is thinly distributed. Canadians are considered to be a model multicultural society that welcomes immigrant populations from every other continent. The country also harbors and exports a wealth of national resources. The current Prime Minister of Canada is Justin Trudeau. The estimated population of Canada is 37,512,000 (2019). Canada covers a total area of 9,984,670 sq. km. 81.4% of the country’s population live in urban areas while 18.6% of the population live in rural areas. 100% of the country’s population is literate. The country’s gross national income per capita (GNI per capita) is 42,870 US $ (Kruger et.al, 2020).

Fig.1. klerik78. Canada map with provinces and cities vector image [Image]. Retrieved on April 26, 2020,  from https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/canada-map-with-provinces-and-cities-vector-21161164

         Canada presented its first Voluntary National Review report in 2018. The report outlines the actions that the country is taking to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to help create a more equal, more prosperous and more inclusive country and world. Canada’s priorities are to build economic growth that works for everyone, to take action on climate change, and to narrow persistent socio-economic gaps (Government of Canada, 2018).

Fig. 2. Government of Canada. Infrastructure Canada [Image]. Retrieved on April 26, 2020, from https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/pub/dpr-rmr/2014/2014-02-eng.html.

          The Voluntary National Review report addresses green infrastructure which includes water and wastewater systems, clean energy, climate-resilient infrastructure like flood mitigation systems, and infrastructure to protect against changing climate. Canada typically spends 3% of GDP on public infrastructure annually and a growing portion of public infrastructure is managed by municipal governments. Canada will provide more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding towards efforts to build a green economy. The government plans to more than double existing federal funding over the 12 years of the plan from 2016. This will help improve the resilience of communities, transition to a clean growth economy, and improve social inclusion and socio-economic outcomes for all Canadians (The Government of Canada, 2018).
 The top priorities of Canada are safe water and clean air, affordable housing and child care, clean electricity grid interconnections, trade and transportation infrastructure, and new urban transit networks. By the end of 2025-2026 the Government of Canada aims to invest $20 billion in funding for green infrastructure initiatives to reduce GHG emissions and improve climate resilience and environmental quality. When it comes to human resources, the Government of Canada invests more than $2 billion every year to help more unemployed and underemployed Canadians access the training and employment support they need to find and keep good jobs in the economy. The Government of Canada will support the construction and improvement of housing, water treatment systems, health facilities and other community infrastructure through its Investing in Canada Plan (The Government of Canada, 2018). 

Fig 3. PressProgress. Poll:7 in 10 Canadians now agree climate change seriously threatens the future of the planet. Retrieved from https://pressprogress.ca/7_in_10_canadians_now_agree_climate_change_seriously_threatens_the_future_of_the_planet/

 The Government of Canada has its priorities outlined and has a detailed and structured plan on implementation of the goals. To ensure Canada meets its commitments, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau mandated the Honorable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Children, Families, and Social Development, to lead Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda. He will be collaborating with all other ministers and their departments. An SDG Unit was also under establishment to support Minister Duclos in this new role (The Government of Canada, 2018). Canada is also determined on developing clean infrastructure and reducing its impact on the environment. All the plans and goals announced in the Voluntary National Review were planned in accordance with changing climate and environment. The country is focused on developing infrastructure sustainability and reducing GHG emissions. 

References

Krueger, R.R., Bercuson, D.J., Morton, W.L., Nicholson N.L. & Hall, R.D. (April 14, 2020). Canada. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada


Government of Canada. (2018). Canada’s implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable

development Voluntary National Review [PDF File]. Retrieved from 

1 comment:

  1. Hello, I love the fact that Canada's government does everything possible to make sure that their citizens stay up on their feet. I think it is very important that the people of Canada see a government that is willing to do what it takes to make sure that they have the resources to get the necessary training they need to live a decent life. I learned so much about Canada by reading your post. Thank you so much for sharing!

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