They’re Both Working Toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Dona Matthews

I was inspired by Robin Spano’s “The Art of Banksy: If You Can, Why Wouldn’t You?” She writes, “All those seemingly disparate issues that Banksy highlights — which I think boil down to sustainability — can maybe be best summarized by the United Nations with their Sustainable Development Goals.”

After reading Spano’s article, I was struck by the resonance between Banksy’s messages and Mark Carney’s perspectives as described in his book, Value(s): Building a Better World for All. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals provide a great framework for thinking about the ways Banksy and Carney are working toward the same goals. Here are a few of the connections: 

1. Quality Education. Carney sees good universal public education as critical to a society’s well-being. He writes, “Sustained economic progress depends on inclusive economic institutions that allow and encourage the great mass of people to take part in economic activities that make the best use of their talents and skills…Education must be both of high quality and open to all.” (p. 114)
2. Decent Work and Economic Growth. Carney observes, “We need to focus technology on improving the quality of existing jobs, on enabling workers to build their skills, and on helping them unleash their creativity through greater connectivity across Canada and with the wider world.” (p. xviii)
3. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. According to Carney, “Addressing climate change is one of the greatest commercial opportunities of our time.” (p. xiv)
4. Reduced Inequality. Carney writes, “More equal societies are more resilient, they are more likely to invest for the many not the few, and to have robust political institutions and consistent policies…A society that provides opportunity to all its citizens is more likely to thrive than one which favours an elite, however defined…Inequality has a statistically significant negative impact on economic growth.” (p 108)
5. Climate Action – Carney writes, “Climate change is the ultimate betrayal of intergenerational equity.” (p. 7). He devotes a section of the book to describing the climate crisis and what we need to do to address it, stating a bold collective ambition: to work toward “A planet fit for our grandchildren.” (p. 226)
6. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. In the chapter entitled, “How Canada Can Build Value for All,” Carney writes, “Strong institutions and fair and effective markets are the foundations of opportunity for all.” He goes on to say that this includes “formal institutions—like parliaments, judiciaries, central banks, social safety nets, and schools—and informal associations and groups, such as trade unions, guilds, and charities.” (p. 412)

Some environmental advocates are criticizing Mark Carney for pulling back on important green initiatives like the carbon tax, and for talking about the need for an energy infrastructure that includes pipelines. But as I see it, Carney understands better than I’ve ever heard enunciated that the environment is part of the global ecosystem that includes people’s ability to earn a living and live good, safe, productive lives; governments’ ability to protect their citizens and enable resilience; and the social capital required to make it all work. 

Carney believes in the small steps approach that Robin Spano advocates in her “Sustainable Steps” blog: “By living the values of sustainability, resilience, and responsibility in tackling climate change, you will inspire others, just as Canadians have during Covid. And collectively, these efforts are helping to shift market values, putting them in service of our human values.” (p. xv)

Mark Carney does not pit economic and environmental health against each other, but rather recognizes that they are intricately interconnected components of the ecosystem that is our planet. Both factors—economic and environmental health—are required for the well-being and prosperity of each of us. In a tribute to Pope Francis, Carney praised Francis for his understanding that environmental degradation and social injustice are linked. By understanding in deep detail the way the pieces fit together, Carney is the leader we need now, both for Canada and the world.