Aligning Manitoba's Sustainable Development Legislation with the 2030 Agenda

Abstract

The Climate and Green Plan Act [CGPA] is Manitoba’s current sustainable development legislation; however, the CGPA does not effectively advance sustainable development as envisioned in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [2030 Agenda]. This paper provides an overview of what sustainable development is, a history of Manitoba’s attempts at implementing sustainable development, as well as the history of the 2030 Agenda. This background provides context for the recommendations made in this paper for advancing sustainable development in Manitoba. The central recommendation is that Manitoba should enact provincial legislation that aligns with the 2030 Agenda. The new statute should reference both sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda in its title; update the definition of sustainable development to include the “5Ps” (people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership); and mandate a strategy that explicitly states how Manitoba will meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]. Manitoba should also use a consistent definition of sustainable development in all relevant provincial legislation. These recommendations will better align Manitoba’s sustainable development legislation with Canada’s international commitments. This paper makes two contributions to existing literature. First, it provides an updated summary of Manitoba’s history of sustainable development legislation and policies. The most recent summary was published over ten years ago. Second, it provides examples of how the 2030 Agenda can be localized at the provincial level.