The UN's Sustainable Development Goals In Our Community

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference is underway and world leaders are coming together to accelerate action on the challenges of climate change. 
However, we believe that these challenges should not only be in the hands of world leaders.Throughout the summer we have built a membership of 33 small businesses committed to doing the same. 
Here at Earth in a Nest, we are aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s Global Compact Network and aspire to use these goals as a framework for small business to implement change at a community level.
If you don’t know a lot about these goals, we’ve added a great video below to learn more!

Using the Gap Frame structure we are able to identify and translate the SDGs into local business targets and strategies, focusing on the issues most prominent in our region.
Here in Canada, our lowest scores are in biodiversity, carbon quotient, land and forests, oceans, as well as in equal opportunity for all Canadians. These results demonstrate the need for an Eco and Age friendly emphasis within our communities. 

We believe that through collaboration, together small businesses can make a massive impact, increasing sustainability and inclusivity. 
Small business has the ability to be a catalyst for a culture shift within our society, with access to the customer base with whom to share their Eco-Age friendly best practices - promoting kindness, compassion, and respect for our Earth and people of all ages, including mature adults. 
Our job at Earth in a Nest is to make this transition easier for businesses, no matter their size, complexity, or current practices - and the first step to doing this is to learn more about them. 

​Here’s what our businesses told us: 
Many are already working hard to implement eco-friendly practices. Some of best stats included: 

• 77% are using sustainable practices such as reduce, reuse, and recycle 
• 77% use tap water over bottled 
• 67% use minimal or no packaging on their goods 
• 67% have reduced the use of plastic bags 

This is fantastic news! And shows that these business owners are taking steps to stay ahead in regards to the consumer market. 
According to the Harvard Business Review, consumers (particularly millennials) are increasingly emphasizing the need for brands to embrace purpose and sustainability in their practices. One study showed that certain categories of products with sustainability claims show DOUBLE the growth of their traditional counterparts. Moving towards these practices is not only beneficial to the Earth, but also in the long-term economic sustainability of their business. 

But where do our businesses need to improve? Our survey showed the least common practices are:

• 38% use locally purchased products
• 32% have improved sign and light efficiency through the use of LED

 Together, we can increase these numbers. We are working on building the how-to, through the creation of tools, networks, resources and training for businesses to use. 
 
​Moving to age-friendly practices, we were awe-struck in the response to our survey! They reported:

• 88% provide clients with a comfortable area to sit while waiting 
• 80% have an easily accessible customer washroom 
• 87.5% have wider aisles and uncluttered pathways 
• 96% train staff to patience and ensure customers don’t feel ‘hurried along’
• 96% offer friendly, authentic, knowledgeable and thorough customer service

The two areas in need of improvement include: 

• 37.5% have easy to open or automatic doors that provide more accessibility 
• 60% have a clearly visible service desk for people to ask for help 

Eco-Age friendly practices are clearly already a priority for many of the businesses here in our community. 

​We hope to mobilize and empower even more to do the same.
We want to thank everyone who has joined Earth in a Nest to date. We feel a great sense of hope for our community when we think about what we are creating together. We are a community of small businesses from North Bay willing to move towards and live Eco-Age friendly practices to better serve our clients and the Earth.
We welcome your input, feedback, and creative sustainable ideas.  Let’s grow a healthy Eco-Age friendly community together!

The value of one, the power of the collective one.  The value of one positive sustainable change, the power of collaboration.  ​