Grant: Engage Grants Program

In a historic United Nations (UN) summit, world leaders adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to address the global challenges we face by the year 2030, including those related to poverty, inequity, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. To achieve these ambitious goals, the UN is collaborating with the private sector, social and public sectors, and academia to develop a shared direction and purpose. Together, the UN and their partners have underscored the importance of evidence-based and transparent long-term pathways, in which sound metrics and data are critical for turning the SDGs into practical tools for problem solving, tracking progress and accountability.*The Lovell Corporation has taken the initiative to build on the SDG management framework by translating it to the individual and organization level. The proposed research will employ statistical and machine learning tools to bridge the gap of mapping individual actions (micro-level) against the SDGs and targets (macro-level). The resulting innovation is expected to support emerging Corporate Social Responsibility principles and practices for Canadian companies and organizations facing increased demands for information about their social and environmental performance. Such a novel tool will incentivize individual actions and mobilize groups through social networks, ultimately helping Canadian businesses be more competitive by supporting operational efficiency gains and enhancing their employer brand with transparent impact reporting.*