Voluntary local reviews of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: a handbook for Canadian communities

Since the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, more than 70 cities from around the world have prepared Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) on SDG-related action and progress in their communities. In 2021, the Canadian cities Kelowna and Winnipeg joined this rapidly growing club of communities that use the SDGs as an opportunity to streamline reporting on sustainable development in their cities and share their successes with global peers. Developing a VLR can have multiple benefits for communities far beyond reporting on progress against the globally shared framework of objectives represented by the SDGs. The VLR process generates local momentum for participatory and holistic decision making toward improved community well-being, reconciliation, inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and resiliency against future shocks. Getting started with a VLR in your community may seem daunting, but it does not have to be. This VLR handbook intends to help Canadian communities of all sizes to launch a VLR by quickly identifying tools, resources, and experiences from other communities available for their support. Many VLR handbooks and guidelines already exist. Instead of recreating existing content, this initiative focuses on helping communities navigate the rapidly growing pool of VLR support materials available. We have scanned the existing literature and selected those resources that appear most useful in the Canadian context. Local SDG implementation and VLR reporting offer a particular opportunity for Canadian communities to advance reconciliation and support Indigenous leadership. We included tools and resources that can help communities integrate SDG implementation and transformative reconciliation at the local level.