Better Your Business | Social and Environmental Sustainability Program

Better Your Business

Tap into social and environmental sustainability

The Better Your Business Tap into Social and Environmental Sustainability Program is a new initiative that will support five Vaughan-based businesses in incorporating the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals into their corporate practices.

Every business has opportunities to serve its community and generate positive social and environmental change by implementing progressive business practices. The ever-increasing threat of climate change has also made systemic changes and adaptation policies necessary for businesses here and around the world.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations at the Paris climate summit in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Participants of the program will receive one-on-one consultations with Professor Mark Terry, PhD, who will evaluate their current business practices and help guide the development of their new sustainable business model to incorporate the United Nation’s 17 SDG’s. By implementing these strategies, businesses can unlock new market opportunities, operate more efficiently, connect with their communities and become more resilient to potential environmental and economic risks. The UN’s Sustainability Development Goals Action Team will then review each action plan, and if approved, each business will receive a certificate of compliance from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Youth Climate Report (YCR) and the City of Vaughan to share their commitment to being socially and environmentally sustainable with their customers and clients.

17 Sustainable Development Goals

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the program, businesses or not-for-profits must:

  • Be located in Vaughan and have a brick-and-mortar location (i.e., office, warehouse, or storefront)
  • Be an independent business
  • Have less than 20 full-time equivalent employees (or less than 25 if a restaurant)

Businesses Not Eligible:

  • Distributorships
  • Franchises
  • Commissioned sales
  • Multi-level marketing ventures

Dates and Deadlines:

The application period for the 2023 program is now closed.