IN LINE with the Ateneo’s goal to be a Laudato Si’ University, the Ateneo Institute for Sustainability (AIS) has outlined its plans to operationalize sustainability by 2050 through the Sustainable University Master Plan (SUMP).

AIS Director Emmanuel Delocado, PhD said that the SUMP defines the goals for sustainability and integral ecology in the short term by 2027, medium term by 2030, and long term by 2050 after being built on 28 public consultations with University stakeholders.

With this, Delocado mentioned that the master plan aims to underscore local sustainability practices and engage in policymaking for sustainable development beyond the University.

Notably, AIS is set to present the SUMP to the Board of Trustees (BoT) in November, who are yet to approve the master plan.

Sustainability in progress

Showcasing the University’s commitment, Delocado described the SUMP as the first university sustainability master plan in the Philippines, which underscores not only environmental stewardship but also social well-being and economic management.

Consequently, the SUMP envisions a University that fosters a culture of sustainability, which involves the entire community and calls for lifestyle changes at the personal and institutional levels.

To meet the short-term goals of the SUMP, Delocado mentioned that several initiatives have been implemented around the Loyola Heights campus. He added that these initiatives—which include increasing solar capacity to 20%, developing a campus biodiversity inventory, and creating modules about sustainability education—show that the SUMP is “on track” with its short-term goals.

Elaborating on the SUMP’s potential, Assistant Vice President for Social and Environmental Engagement for Development and Sustainability Leland Dela Cruz, PhD expressed optimism in the master plan’s influence on crafting sustainability policies. He further described the SUMP as “robust” since the Ateneo community contributed to it.

Building on this, Delocado shared that the SUMP is a collective dream of the University as it consolidates the varied efforts and advocacies of student organizations, faculty members, and other members of the Ateneo community.

“There are issues on campus [such as improving] space management, managing our biodiversity, and letting [it] thrive. […] [Sustainability] is not just a social issue, but an environmental issue as well,” Delocado said.

Long-term vision

By 2050, the University aims to achieve carbon neutrality, minimize wastewater discharge, increase species diversity, and improve learning environments through green architecture, among other goals.

According to Delocado, the SUMP’s long-term goals were set after consulting with various offices to ensure that they were achievable within their designated periods. He highlighted that the SUMP is feasible since each target aligns with the objectives of collaborating offices, such as the Central Facilities Management Office and the Campus Safety and Mobility Office.

With the SUMP draft publicly available, Dela Cruz said that the general access of the document holds stakeholders accountable.

Upon the BoT’s approval, Delocado hopes that the SUMP will influence University policies through sustainability initiatives—including the Biodiversity Action Plan and the Climate Action Plan—which are due for public consultation in AY 2025–2026.

To maintain the SUMP’s adaptability, Delocado clarified that the SUMP will be reviewed every three years to account for external factors that may affect the University’s progress toward sustainability.

As part of SUMP’s transparency initiatives, Delocado added that the AIS will release a public dashboard that conveys the progress of its various goals. Moreover, Dela Cruz added that the AIS will collaborate with the Strategy and Quality Maintenance Office to assess whether the University meets the SUMP’s targets on time despite new developments.

Toward sustainable communities

After reviewing the working draft of the SUMP, School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) Representative Maria Francesca Montaña called it a “promising plan” due to its emphasis on sustainability and its alignment with academic and research initiatives within SOSE.

She also highlighted that sustainability should be viewed as “a combined effort” of the entire Ateneo community, emphasizing that sustainability should be driven by behavioral changes rather than mere policies.

“[The Ateneo community] can’t say that [the SUMP] will solve every problem that we are [currently] facing. […] [But, if the administration] listen[s] to the suggestions and ideas of the people in the community, hopefully, it will be a good start that could lead to improvement,” Montaña said in a mix of English and Filipino.

To keep the University community involved with the SUMP, Delocado explained that the AIS will include student organizations and key individuals to design, implement, and monitor the plan’s initiatives.

As the University sets out its long-term goals for integral ecology, Montaña expressed hope that the SUMP will serve as an avenue to integrate sustainability in the lives of students amid present national crises.