One Earth Initiative

One Earth Initiative Image

The One Earth Initiative fosters social and environmental justice in light of Laudato si.

  • Pope Francis issued Laudato si in 2015, urging all people to care for our common home through "integral ecology"  — a holistic approach to complex and interrelated ecological and social problems. 
  • The Vatican launched the Laudato si Action Platform in 2021, calling all Catholic institutions to embody Laudato si' principles. The global Laudato si' university working group has created a 7-year pathway.
  • In 2021, President Paul Fitzgerald, SJ was one of the first Jesuit university presidents to commit to developing an action plan. 
  • Under the leadership of the Provost and Chief Mission Officer, USF convened the OEI working group that included faculty, librarians, administrators, staff, and students. 
  • After a collaborative three-year process, the working group drafted USF’s Laudato si Action Plan.  A synopsis can be found here. 


The One Earth Initiative Action Plan identifies four priorities: 

Priority 1: Ecological Spirituality and Culture  

Goal: Create and enhance ecological spirituality, foster a culture that values nature and cares for those most vulnerable to environmental harm, and enhance our collective capacity to cope constructively with eco-anxiety. 


Priority 2: Education and Student Experience

Goal: Ensure that students obtain an understanding of integral ecology: of the interconnected scientific, political, legal, economic, social, cultural, and spiritual dimensions to our understanding of the environment and the profound threats we face. 


Priority 3: Facilities and Infrastructure

Goal: Make USF an environmental showcase by eliminating direct carbon emissions, reducing USF’s on- and off-campus environmental impacts, and enhancing the educational and research opportunities offered by our physical campuses.


Priority 4: Institutional Mechanisms for Supporting Environmental Sustainability Initiatives

Goal: Coordinate, support, and uplift USF’s environmental sustainability and justice initiatives. 

 

We are establishing working groups to help achieve each goal.  Led by Cabinet-level executive sponsors and co-chairs drawn from faculty and administration, we are seeking members from all areas of the university community.  

Faculty and staff: Complete this form to indicate your interest

Students: Application information is available here.

Co-chairs will select working group members in the coming weeks.  

If you would like further information, feel free to contact the Initiative’s steering co-chairs, Erin Brigham (Director, Lane Center) or Alice Kaswan (Professor, School of Law).