Sustainability

“The University of San Diego prepares students to be enlightened, engaged and ecological citizens.”

James T. Harris III,                      President, University of San Diego

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USD Sustainability Map

Commitment to Care For Our Common Home

Our world faces increasingly complex and urgent challenges that affect our collective environmental, social and economic well-being. Responding to these challenges in a holistic manner is the essence of sustainability, and the University of San Diego recognizes its responsibility to be a part of the response. We seek to create a university culture that embraces environmentally and socially responsible practices and processes through student action, faculty research, curricula, and daily operations, resulting in lasting change for both USD and society.

When USD adopted Pope Francis’ Care for Our Common Home philosophy as one of the six Pathways to achieve its mission, it was a catalyst for this cultural change. The USD Office of Sustainability has launched several initiatives to support this effort. In 2016, USD published a Climate Action Plan which set goals for reducing the university's carbon footprint; this will be updated in 2020 as we rise to meet the new challenge established by President Harris to achieve climate neutrality by 2035. The Office has created programs to educate students and employees on ways to make their daily work and living practices more sustainable, and led projects to reduce USD’s greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, the university offers nearly 400 courses containing sustainability concepts. 

We hope you will get involved in these and other sustainability initiatives on campus. We are here to offer resources to support your efforts and look forward to partnering with you to help address climate change and other urgent challenges of the 21st century.

Recent Spotlights

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In the News

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@usdsustain on Instagram

We’re ending GND week with some quick facts, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions! #greennewdeal #GND #climatechange #climateaction #sustainableliving #climatebreakdown #ecoliving #ecolearning #climatefacts
ECONOMIC JUSTICE, FOOD JUSTICE, HEALTH JUSTICE, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE are all key components of the Green New Deal. #greennewdeal #gnd #environmentaljustice #climateaction #socialjustice #foodjustice #economicjustice #healthjustice #climatecrisis
Green New Deal week! We’re answering these questions and more this week, and we can’t wait to talk more about the GND. Any questions? Comment below and we’ll include them in our info-posts and stories this week. #greennewdeal #GND #climateaction #environmentaljustice #socialjustice #climatechange #climatecrisis #climateactivisim
Climate Leader Highlight: Christiana Figueres is an incredible global leader, driven entirely by a stubborn optimism. Figueres has worked her way to top positions by spreading climate hope and fighting tirelessly for climate action. #climatehope #climateaction #climatechange #parisagreement #climateleadership #climateleader #optimism
Climate Leader Highlight: Deb Haaland will be the first Native American Interior Secretary. Who is she, and what does the Secretary of Interior do? Swipe for info! #debhaaland #environmentaljustice #climatejustice #climateaction #USclimateaction
It was impossible to include enough quotes to capture just how important the Pope's words are in the fight against climate change. Pope Francis does not hesitate to address the most important components of the climate crisis, including environmental injustice, overconsumption, cutting edge approaches to climate change, and more. Read Pope Francis' full Encyclical on our website. #popefrancis #climateaction #climatechange #sustainableliving #sustainable #climatecrisis #climateleader #ecoliving
One of the best self-care goals you can make this year: Enjoy nature at least once a week. Getting outside has proven health benefits, and it also helps reconnect you with your mission to protect the Earth. #natureforhealth #selfcare #outside #outdoors #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving #ecofriendly #climateaction #USDsustain
The evidence is clear: shifting our diets towards more PLANT-BASED foods is the way to go for reducing our environmental footprint and our risk of developing chronic diseases. By substituting some key foods, you'll see just how easy eating a wholesome plant-based diet really can be. #plantbased #plants #healthyeating #healthyfood #sustainableeating #climateaction #ecoliving #ecofriendlyliving #ecofriendly
One of the best ways to live a conscious lifestyle is to MAKE MORE of your own materials, foods, gifts, etc. and BUY LESS from large corporations. Next time something breaks, or when you need a new garment, consider getting creative and make your own. Similarly, try to start growing your food! Even if it's just a few fresh herbs here and there, learning to grow your own food is incredibly beneficial to you and the planet. #buyless #buylessbuybetter #buylessmakemore #sustainablepurchasing #sustainableliving #ecoliving #ecofriendlyliving #ecoguide #ecoresolution #sustainablenewyear #climateaction #climatechange
We're so excited for Caroline Soltis' Instagram Takeover! Caroline is passionate about the environment and will have some great tips to share. She's considering a major in Spanish and recently joined USD's Sustainability Club. Tuesday, 1/5, don't miss it!