“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us?”
Pope Francis asked this thoughtful question in the groundbreaking 2015 environmental encyclical Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, commenting that “leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us” (paragraph 160).
The Division of Mission and Ministry and the Center for Sustainability are proud to announce the launch of our strategic action plan Sustainable SCU: Leading Through Laudato Si'. This expansive plan outlines Santa Clara University’s campus-wide goals and strategies for building a more humane, just, and sustainable world through 2030.
SCU responded to Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home and the common good in 2021 by joining more than 130 other universities and organizations in the 7-Year Journey Towards Integral Ecology through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Center for Sustainability Director Lindsey Kalkbrenner explains, “Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum expanded the sustainability conversation at SCU, inviting us to integrate environmental justice more deeply into our work through the inclusion of new voices and engaging in more community-based research partnerships centered on climate justice and resiliency. We hope to build stronger connections with local tribes and diverse communities.”
SCU’s environmental justice and sustainability efforts over nearly two decades have made this moment possible starting in 2004 with the adoption of the first Comprehensive Policy on Sustainability. With campus-wide involvement in our University’s many sustainability initiatives – from the popular sustainability minor to tUrn weeks and the Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshops - it was clear that this plan needed to include the whole of Santa Clara community. The 2022-2023 sustainability planning process invited all Broncos - faculty, staff, administrators, undergraduates, graduates, alumni, and community members - to consider how we can make a difference individually and collectively. Meeting nearly monthly over an academic year, the plan moved from ideas to clear goals and initiatives, which senior administrators at SCU agreed to sponsor and shepherd.
“As students, we want to make a tangible impact on our community. The exciting thing about the new Leading Through Laudato Si’ plan is that everyone participates in leaving a positive impact on our school,” Madeline Sofer (‘25), Laudato Si’ Planning Student Sustainability Coordinator notes.
With nearly 60 people participating in the planning process working groups and now another 40 people committed to the Implementation Team efforts, it’s clear that sustainability and justice are a key focus across SCU. This plan includes broad support at all levels. The Executive Sponsors, including members of the President’s Cabinet, are serving as leads for the plan’s five focus areas: Academics, Campus Engagement, Community Engagement, Operations: Energy, and Operations: Resources.
“This plan demonstrates the widespread interest and involvement in sustainability across SCU’s department and units,” Center for Sustainability Director Lindsey Kalkbrenner explains. “The Center for Sustainability is thrilled to serve as the organizational change management team to help steer our collective work as we bring these goals to fruition.”
Most importantly, the sustainability goals and strategies are aligned with and expand upon Impact 2030: Santa Clara University's Strategic Plan, from the specific “Foundational Commitment” focused on helping SCU become a climate-positive university to multiple Plan Priorities looking to expand global ecological development and environmental justice thought leadership. Vice President for Mission and Ministry Alison Benders points out, “A major thrust of Impact 2030 is to assure that our graduates are prepared as persons of competence, conscience, and compassion to meet the most urgent issues of our times. By including sustainability throughout the four main goals, the university will be committed to caring for our common home as one of its highest priorities. Leading through Laudato Si’ is the roadmap for SCU to do this sustainably and justly.”