The United Nations sustainable development goals and the promotion of physical activity in Canada

Background: The role of physical activity in supporting the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) has been recognized, with the potential for co-benefits. Though Canada has outlined a plan for addressing the SDGs, Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy, the relevance to physical activity promotion in the country is unclear.
Policy components: Previously published papers and grey literature were used to examine the potential links between SDGs and national strategies for sport, physical activity, & recreation (SPAR) in Canada. Two documents at the global level and one document from the Government of Canada were included for evaluation. The reviewed documents were summarized by the document, or the different sources of data used within the document (e.g., WHO global action plan, physical activity experts, literature review). The documents were then coded for SDGs that specify the role of sport, physical activity, and/or recreation.
Evaluation: Across 17 SDGs, Goals 3 (good health & well-being), 4 (quality education), 9 (industry, innovation, & infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities & communities), 12 (responsible consumption & production), 13 (climate action), & 16 (peace, justice & strong institutions) received the most support in relation to SPAR. However, only Goal 3 was identified in the Canadian government report. Overall, we found no or limited mention of climate change or SDGs in Canada’s national strategies for SPAR.
Conclusions: Climate change mitigation and several sustainable development action plans can be achieved through physical activity promotion strategies. In Canada, almost no information was available incorporating the strategies to promote SPAR within the SDGs framework. Further consideration on the role of SPAR that may directly and/or indirectly influence achieving SDGs and planetary health is required.
Practical implications: This assessment may be useful in consideration of incorporating SDGs and climate change mitigation in national strategies for SPAR in Canada.
Funding: None.