sustainability for the 21st century

Novel Futures Director, Darren Swanson, has supported and advised UN agencies for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), UNICEF, the UN Development Programme, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. In these capacities, Darren co-authored the UNSDG's 2030 Agenda Mainstreaming Reference Guide and Online Training Course on Integrated Approaches to Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support for the SDGs.  

Novel Futures Director, Darren Swanson, provides training, consulting and facilitation services to governments for mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals (SDGs) into strategies, plans and monitoring systems. In this capacity, Darren has organized national training and knowledge sharing workshops for the Islamic Development Bank and the Incheon-based UN Office for Sustainable Development annual Sustainable Development Transformation Forum.

Over the years, Darren Swanson has directed measurement & assessment and sustainability & climate resilience efforts in NGO and business settings, including sustainability and integrated reporting, ESG impact assessment. As a former judge for the annual Corporate Reporting Awards of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada for almost 15 years, Darren has had a unique view to the evolution and maturation of sustainability assessment, strategy, reporting, and regulation in Canada.

As a past member of the project team for Winnipeg's award-winning community wellbeing indicator system, PEG, and as a consultant to the United Nations' Enhanced Voluntary Local Review Guidance Portal, Darren Swanson  understands first hand how critically important multi-stakeholder engagement is in conceptualizing, measuring and navigating progress toward community wellbeing and sustainability.

Novel Futures has provided sustainable development strategy and reporting support to international NGOs and Development Banks. In 2017, Darren Swanson prepared an assessment framework and report for the Islamic Development Bank Group's 10-year Strategy and alignment with the SDGs.