November 28, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to greater social equity and gender equality. Today at the Sustainable Finance Forum, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds announced the launch of the Pilot Social Equity Lens Investment (SELI) Coding System. This new tool is a taxonomy that will define, assess, and track progress toward the Social Finance Fund's investment targets of advancing social equity and gender equality. The Pilot SELI Coding System will be used to ensure that the Government of Canada is meeting its social equity and gender equality goals when it comes to investing in social finance initiatives. Indigenous reconciliation has been integrated as a foundational principle within the Pilot SELI Coding System.
The Government of Canada has allocated $1.35 million in technical assistance and ecosystem-building funding to support the implementation of the Pilot SELI Coding System across the social finance ecosystem. The full taxonomy and implementation guide will be publicly available in spring 2025 to any investors who want to adopt the taxonomy and more equitable practices.
Minister Sudds also announced that Employment and Social Development Canada is now a member of 2X Global - a network connecting members with resources and partnerships in the field of gender-lens investing across the globe. This membership creates opportunities for Employment and Social Development Canada to share best practices and innovative solutions in support of the Social Finance Fund's work across Canada.
Minister Sudds also highlighted Canada's progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by the United Nations to help build stronger, safer and more inclusive communities that leave no one behind. An online consultation is currently under way to gather community-level stories from Canadians who are advancing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Input from the consultation will contribute to the 2025 Annual Report, which will highlight Canada's efforts toward advancing these goals.
