Buzzing with excitement: Environmental Studies major Hathaway Scarpine ’24 with bees from the Saint Mary’s Legacy Garden / Photo by Desiree Sturrock ’25
How Saint Mary’s is Taking Part in a Global Commitment to Sustainability
Introducing the Saint Mary’s Laudato Si Action Plan, which links our institutional climate action goals with our Lasallian Catholic mission and identity, to work together and by association to transform lives for a more sustainable and just world.
Today we are excited to share with the SMC community the Saint Mary’s Laudato Si Action Plan. This action plan is a response to the call by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si and last month’s new apostolic exhortation, Laudato Deum. Both Laudato Si and Laudate Deum appeal to “every person living on this planet” for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our earth. Pope Francis calls on the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path.
As a proud member of the Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP), Saint Mary’s has developed an action plan grounded in the seven LSAP Goals as a framework to highlight our current and future actions. These draw from our Saint Mary’s sustainability and climate-related planning and policy documents, including our Climate Action Plan, the Transformation 2028 strategic plan, and our Sustainable Food Plan and Sustainable Purchasing Policy.
Drawing on the global Lasallian commitment to sustainability, we join other Lasallian universities in this effort through the International Association of Lasalle Universities Global Compact initiative. The Office of Sustainability and Office of Mission have partnered to create this plan, which links our institutional climate action goals with our Lasallian Catholic mission and identity, to work together and by association to transform lives for a more sustainable and just world.
We invite you to attend two events this week, sponsored by the Mission & Ministry Center (MMC) and Office of Sustainability:
- Film Screening of The Letter | Wednesday, November 29, 5:30 p.m. in MMC
- Laudate Deum focused Fair Trade Friday | Friday, December 1, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in MMC
Together, we Gaels can and will make a difference.
READ MORE: Saint Mary’s Laudato Si Action Plan
Lasallian Values, Global Connections: Saint Mary’s Leads Conversation on Sustainability
Saint Mary’s Earns Top 10 National Recognition for Sustainable Food and Dining