Sustainability at Georgetown University
Sustainability at Georgetown University

Georgetown’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan

Laudato Si’: Toward a More Sustainable Future

In 2015, Pope Francis issued his second encyclical entitled Laudato Si’: Care for Our Common Home. The encyclical urges us to take action where we can, to reduce our impact on the climate. The Laudato Si’ Action Platform  has been working to support churches, universities, organizations, and individuals in the community of faith in the development of a 7-year Laudato Si’ Action Plan.  These plans will support work globally to advance climate action according to the seven Pillars of Laudato Si’.

Georgetown University’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan (LSAP)  was developed by the Office of Sustainability in partnership with key campus partners in the GU community. The plan has gone through several iterations and stages of development using valuable input from academics, campus ministry, faculty and staff, student sustainability representatives, and core business units within university operations.

Each section of the Laudato Si’ Action Plan details the work Georgetown is currently doing to make change toward a better, more sustainable future at the university and in the community, consistent with the values of this encyclical. The future actions outlined in this plan are actions anticipated to be completed during the current cycle of the plan.

While this document  captures immediate steps to be taken or actions to be completed by 2028, it also lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability actions that extend beyond this plan cycle, reflecting a sustained commitment to environmental and community stewardship inspired by the principles of Laudato Si’. 

University Partners

Georgetown’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan is the result of a campus-wide commitment to sustainability, made possible through the hard work and collaboration of key university partners, including: