Just over 10 years ago, on September 25, 2015, representatives from all 193 member countries gathered at the UN in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a promise to fix everything from climate change to gender inequality by 2030.
Just over 10 years ago, on September 25, 2015, representatives from all 193 member countries gathered at the UN in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a promise to fix everything from climate change to gender inequality by 2030.
With just five years left, most countries, including Canada, are falling short of meeting their Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. As the 2025 UN report on the SDGs put it – “progress has been fragile and unequal.”
While there is clearly lots of work still to be done to achieve the targets set a decade ago, the recent 2025 edition of the Victoria Forum highlighted how much is being done and centred around what can be done, from individuals to businesses to governments, to bend the trajectory towards a better world for all.
Founded in 2017 as a joint production between the University of Victoria and the Senate of Canada, the Victoria Forum is genuinely unique among gatherings in Canada. As of 2024, this forum is now an annual event, taking place in late August at the beautiful University of Victoria campus.
Aside from being a confluence of changemakers working at all levels of government, the economy and civil society, it also offers a rare opportunity to connect and exchange ideas directly with members of the Senate of Canada. It’s safe to say that the Victoria Forum is probably the among most important crucibles of positive impact to be found in Canada.
As a marketing agency whose purpose is to accelerate awareness and adoption of things that are better for the world, sending Sparx team members Hamish Khamisa and Alexandra Nikitina back to the Victoria Forum this past August again was a no-brainer.
This was Sparx’s second consecutive year attending the Victoria Forum. Last year, where we were also a program partner, the theme was “Building Trust for a Shared Future” and featured Dr. Victoria Hurth as a keynote speaker. It is also where we showcased Issue 7, the Wellbeing Economy Issue of Make The World Better Magazine.
The focus of the 2025 Victoria Forum was ‘Towards a Better Future: Shifting the Trajectory’ and centered around the challenges and opportunities in meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by exploring three key interconnected themes of building a regenerative economy, equity and social justice, and peace and democracy.
The forum managed to compress 50 different sessions featuring over 200 different speakers, into (just) two and a half days. There was more on the agenda than we would possibly have time to attend, and with close to 700 registrants composed of systems change advocates, influencers and leaders from Indigenous communities, government, civil society, academia and the private sector, there were more people we would have loved to connect with that we simply couldn’t get to.
The format of this forum was also very similar to last year. There was a mix of mainstage programming in the mornings followed by breakout sessions in the afternoons, all of which took place at the beautiful University of Victoria campus. Having done it all once before a year earlier, we were well-practiced when zig zagging between sessions, knowing where to find great seats, and, helpfully, how best to beeline to the food. The evening reception was held once again at the Victoria Museum where we had the opportunity to connect with fellow attendees in a more casual setting as well as meet up with old friends.
In terms of content, the Victoria Forum is a bold idea buffet.
Headline topics included planetary health and Canada’s role; transitioning Canada to a zero carbon economy; democracy’s digital future; confronting the meta-crises and moving from talk to action on systems change to name but a few. Our strong recommendation is to check out the Victoria Forum’s YouTube channel for recorded sessions from the mainstage for some of the keynote talks.
Of course, summarizing all of the fascinating conversations and takeaways from all of the presentations would be nearly impossible, even if we limited it to what we attended or found interesting.
Instead, we’ve taken a slightly different approach by providing three interesting throughlines or arcs that we think could characterize the experience. Additionally, we’ve included some purpose-driven marketing perspectives to understand how we see this year’s Victoria Forum shaping the work we do.
Despite there being a rich selection of new topics this year, it was truly remarkable to see how much progress has been achieved on the topics we learned about last year. One story in particular that stood out was the advancement of planetary health and the growing number of opportunities for positive impact well beyond the healthcare system. Seeing the shift in momentum, and rapid evolution of tactical approach over the span of one year is something, as the marketers in the room, we took note of.
A specific example of the planetary health multisolve opportunity was the campaign for eliminating desflurane, an anesthetic gas that is approximately 2,500 times more potent in terms of greenhouse gas potential than carbon dioxide.
Thanks to extensive and sustained effort by the Canadian Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Planetary Health Organizations for Wellbeing, Equity & Regeneration (POWER) and many others, the campaign to remove desflurane has resulted in 100 hospitals across Canada phasing it out or removing it completely from use.
The progress of getting 100 hospitals on board is a great headline, but with somewhere in the order of 1,100 hospitals and health care facilities in Canada, there is still considerable work to be done. The biggest takeaway, however, is that progress is possible. There is now a clear link between procurement decisions, health systems impact and planetary health all moving in the same direction. The cure shouldn’t be more harmful than the disease.
A second interesting angle on moving away from desflurane (and waste reduction thinking in healthcare more generally) is the cost saving.
It’s worth noting that as well as being far more polluting than than its alternatives, desflurane is about 4.4x more expensive than sevoflurane per bottle and about 15x more expensive for equivalent anesthetic effect when looking at the cost per hour. Similarly, we learned through discussions on planetary health, that between 85% and 99% of purchased nitrous oxide is estimated to be (and shockingly) lost through piping leaks in Canadian hospitals before it makes it to clinical use.
Waste, almost by definition, is unnecessarily expensive. However waste or unnecessary use of greenhouse gases, at this point, not only seems irresponsible, but frankly unconscionable, especially against the backdrop of cost pressures faced by the Canadian healthcare system and through the lens of planetary health.
The compound gains for the healthcare system both in terms of emissions reductions and cost savings make moving away from desflurane or piped-in nitrous oxide as close to a no-brainer for positive impact as possible. Bonus points for being better for the planet (which in turn, has better downstream health outcomes).
Given the cost difference and impact profile of desflurane, it raises a few questions as to why it is in such widespread use to begin with?
Desflurane rose to clinical prominence in the early 1990s because of perceived speed advantages and illustrates that once a practice is adopted within a healthcare system (especially one that values quick turnaround), changing things that seem beneficial in the short term but are harmful to long-term wellbeing for all can take many (many) more years than it seems like it should.
One of the culprits for its rise, in some narratives, being pointed out is “marketing” – which is interesting as a conceptual exercise because, if it is true that marketing is responsible for persuading an industry to adopt this particular solution, then it is also true that “marketing” can do the opposite. Marketing is not unidirectional in its importance.
As a purpose-driven marketing agency, it underscores the necessity of educating those who work in marketing – perhaps one step upstream of procurement or product development – to understand the consequences of the products they help to scale into the market.
Procurement’s role goes beyond just healthcare, however. HP Canada’s Head of Sustainable Impact, Frances Edmonds, in the day two opening plenary panel on SDG progress, took the position that better procurement can be a very strategic lever to advancing positive impact at scale, in particular on SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production.
Certainly HP Canada’s story of sustainability progress – and bold (but, as we were told, legally defensible stance) proclamation as Canada’s most sustainable tech company, reflectsthe work that would have had to be done to support that claim. As a recognizable figure in the technology landscape, this particular story of progress will hopefully light the way for other adjacent firms to see what’s possible.
Fortunately, changes in how purchase decisions are made, as we often point out, don’t have to be big.
Case in point, this year the Victoria Forum switched their transportation provider to the Community Action Bus. The coach bus last year was functional and typical. This year, however, it was (more) fun, memorable and better for the local community. The result of putting procurement alongside purpose and getting people where they needed to get to was a much more memorable and engaging experience – and doing so on used french-fry grease felt like a bio-diesel bonus.
Another key element to the Victoria Forum which maybe didn’t get as much attention is the presence and power of co-creation.
Almost from the outset, co-creation surfaced at this year’s forum during the opening day session which was held in the beautiful Songhees Wellness Centre of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. Hip hop artist Zoe Slusar aka ZHE the FREE infused music and freestyle into a room filled with people that didn’t quite match that music’s typical youthful demographic, and that seemed to be precisely the point.
Though she typically works with marginalized youth through freestyle and cypher – a powerful application of the concept of being in circle and embracing different ideas and forms – bringing freestyle hip hop to the forum opening offered an energetic activation of the Victoria Forum crowd and drove home the point that different approaches to engagement can invite in an emotional connection to the task of building a better world. Too often working against ‘doom and gloom’ narratives is taxing at best, so injecting positive energy and music (and, dare we say fun?) into the work was a welcomed shift.
Co-creation also took centre stage at the day three opening keynote panel on digital democracy. This session featured a mixture of pre-recorded message, livestream video attendance, on stage panelists and a real-time technology-driven exercise in stakeholder engagement through the Ethelo software platform.
While the session itself was a great reflection of co-creation in action, some of the campaigns highlighted by one of the panelists, André Côté, Director, Policy and Research, and Head, Secure and Responsible Tech Policy program at Toronto Metropolitan University, pointed to the role that marketing will undoubtedly play to advance participation in democracy via activation in the workplace and driving healthier lives through improvements in managing screen time, particularly among youth.
From Indigenous elders and leaders to former Canadian Prime Ministers to CEOs and senior executives from impact driven organizations to changemakers of all stripes, another remarkable aspect of the Victoria Forum was the critical mass of wisdom and impactful leadership in attendance.
Certainly on stage and in panel discussions, it was in plain view. However, as is often the case, it was the smaller moments of leadership we noticed that spoke loudest to us.
From senators running mics for Q&As to CEOs teaming up to tackle ventilation issues in unusually hot classrooms to making spaces for voices that don’t often get the chance to speak first, the countless examples of small acts of support reflected the character that so often defines leadership. Seeing leadership surface in these tiny, unscripted actions, gives us hope that our fellow attendees will ultimately be out in the world combining and compounding small actions to shift the trajectory toward a better world. Progress, not perfection, is the way forward.
It is also important to note the critical role of wisdom in the room. From Indigenous and non-Indigenous elders as well as from the voices of youth that were intentionally incorporated into the agenda, the rich tapestry of lived experiences, offered participants of the Forum opportunities to reflect on the common threads that challenge and inspire leaders. And, if there was a common thread in many of their stories, it was simply this: seeing a need and simply going about trying to address it.
One session, as a purpose-driven marketing agency, that we were keen to attend was the session on building the purpose economy. This was the second consecutive year in which building the purpose economy was on the agenda and there were many familiar faces in the audience.
This year’s panel was moderated by Spring co-founder Keith Ippel, and featured Coro Strandberg, co-founder of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, Bianca Freedman CEO of Edelman Canada and Janet Austin, former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
The panel explored stories of businesses taking a leadership role in advancing a better way of doing business and doing so in a way that doesn’t sacrifice financial sustainability. Janet Austin’s experiences leading the YWCA Vancouver as CEO, for example, offered some truly fascinating windows into the decisions that purpose-driven organizations are better able to navigate as well as the resulting outcomes.
Another series of interesting points on the state of the efforts to grow the purpose-driven economy came from Coro Strandberg. Specifically, she cited the recently published TSX60 Social Purpose Report Card, prepared by the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, that reviewed some of the largest, publicly-traded companies in Canada, in particular those on the TSX60, to assess the degree to which they have any form of social purpose in their corporate communications or governance.
Encouragingly, 24 out of the 60, or 40%, of those organizations reviewed had what could be considered to be a social purpose, and further, of the 24 who were deemed to have a social purpose, nine have social purpose integrated in some way into the governance at the board level.
The takeaway here is that social purpose, whether or not it is explicitly labelled as such, is making its way into business of all sizes across the country. Over 300 business and civil society leaders have signed the Call to Purpose as a signal of their support for a world in which business can be a force for positive change, and hopefully the leadership shown by companies willing to pursue or integrate social purpose into a public-facing position, serves as a catalyst to peers and adjacent organizations and boards to consider following suit.
The task of leading a change in the system requires a certain comfort with building public view. Because “purpose businesses” have not been well-established, there is a perception of risk – and that is precisely the point. By challenging the existing way of operating, the system that seeks to keep things the way they are (i.e. business as usual) would push back with a narrative of “this might not work.”
From a purpose-driven marketing viewpoint, it is encouraging to see larger companies publicly positioning themselves to work for a better world. Like claims related to sustainability, however, the true measure of how purpose surfaces in a company will be measured in actions as well as words.
Purpose isn’t something you opt into and out of based on convenience. Rather, it adds clarity as to who would be a good fit for the company (and who would not). Ultimately, other companies, clients, employees and the rest of society, will be paying attention to actions over time, not single events or intermittent activities.
Marketing, therefore, will be central to creating cohesive narratives of how purpose, specifically, enables the organization to unlock and create additional value. What a great story that would be for the future generations of shareholders to get as part of the quarterly and annual reporting.
With so much at stake, it’s tempting to view the shortening runway to 2030 in a pessimistic light. After all, “missing” the goals and targets doesn’t seem like a win. We have a different point of view, however.
While there is still much work to be done domestically and internationally to achieve meaningful progress on the SDGs, we cannot discount what has been accomplished to date. As we know, progress is not always linear and based on the imagination, efforts, achievements and momentum of the purpose-driven leaders at this year’s Victoria Forum, there are considerable forces at work looking to shift the trajectory in the right direction.
As marketers, one of the core principle questions to ask in relation to the SDGs is how we can create the conditions for that better world to come to be?
Certainly, creating spaces like the Victoria Forum can help. Convening purpose-driven leaders who can provide progress updates and insights on work that matters is regenerative to those who are travelling along a similar path. Community is an affirmation that they’re not doing this work alone.
Amidst an overwhelmingly positive forum, however, there are some cautionary notes and if there is room for improving the recipe for the Victoria Forum, it might be found in working to include more diverse perspectives and to include more action-oriented sessions.
As the former Canadian Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, said as he reflected on his greatest lesson learned from his time in politics: “We all depend upon people with whom we disagree.” Progress requires listening to different, and at times, dissenting opinions and working towards consensus.
Also, convening in and of itself is not enough to achieve meaningful progress. The Victoria Forum still had a lot of dialogue and discussion, however it would be interesting to explore more hands-on opportunities to solve problems, raise questions or address new challenges, all in real-time. Creating spaces for solutions – perhaps akin to the wildly fun session run by POWER – that result in knowledge-translation resources that can help train “the others,” would offer another great ingredient for future conferences.
This year’s Victoria Forum created an enabling environment for those doing important work to be able to report on it effectively through compelling stories, embedding co-creation and demonstrating leadership. In so doing, the Forum is creating the conditions to accelerate awareness and adoption of the myriad bold solutions to addressing pressing global issues that formed the agenda for this conference. The visionaries at the Victoria Forum, with the support of the Senate of Canada, have created something very special.
Like many others, we’re keen to see what other ingredients are part of the mix next year. And, we’re probably also not alone in our excitement to bring with us our own interesting updates in the world of purpose-driven marketing to add to the medley.
Certainly we left this year’s conference reaffirming our thesis of the important role better marketing can play in shifting the trajectory towards a better world. And, as we disperse again to push, in our own ways, to bend the world towards better, we do so with the renewed optimism that we might just succeed.
Circular Innovation Council (CIC) has been putting circular economy concepts into action in Canada since 1978, including through a variety of programs like Circular Economy Month, which takes place every October. As a proud collaborator and a circular economy supporter, we spoke with CIC to tell their story and share insights on Circular Economy Month.
Read More View blog postLooking to attend purpose-driven events? Sparx has compiled a list of networking and learning opportunities taking place in July, August, and September.
Read More View blog postIn April, we travelled to Montréal to attend the Canadian Circular Economy Summit, a key event focused on accelerating Canada’s transition to a circular economy. From the launch of Circular Economy Magazine to thought-provoking panels, workshops, and immersive experiences, here are our key highlights.
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