Conference explores Laudato Si’ and sustainable development | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Conference explores Laudato Si’ and sustainable development Conference explores Laudato Si’ and sustainable development Published: February 11, 2016 Author: Carol Elliott As part of the celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment Laudato Si’, the University of Notre Dame is hosting a two-day conference to explore the significance of the encyclical, as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs), key targeted environmental and developmental goals unanimously approved by world leaders in September. The conference, “A Global Compact for Sustainable Development: Advancing Care for Our Common Home,” will take place April 3-4 on the Notre Dame campus. Some of the world’s leading experts in the area of sustainability and global development will present topics considered of critical importance to the advancing the SDGs. The aim is to educate students about the role of business, to attract more companies to participate in the endeavor and to assist understanding of how Laudato Si’ shares a common mission with the effort. Keynote speakers include Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, former CEO and chairman of Shell Oil and Gas Companies and current chair of the U.N. Global Compact Foundation, and Archbishop Bernardito Auza, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. The event is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business at Mendoza College of Business and the United Nations Global Compact, and is the business school’s contribution to the celebration of Laudato Si’ under the umbrella of the Keough School of Global Affairs. “We all want to leave the world better than we found it,” said Rev. Oliver Williams, C.S.C., the director of the Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business. “This conference will help us as businesses, organizations and as individuals shape a world better for ourselves and our families, as well as for the least advantaged.” Among those presenting are Andrew Revkin, senior fellow of the Pace University Academy for Applied Environmental studies and writer for The New York Times; Daniel Bross, senior director of corporate responsibility for Microsoft; and Juergen Brokatzky-Geiger, global head of corporate responsibility for Novartis. Mark R. Kennedy, director and professor of political management at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, also will present. Kennedy served three terms in the U.S. Congress and was a presidentially appointed trade adviser under presidents George Bush and Barack Obama. Participating corporations include Microsoft, 3M and Sumitomo. Registration and additional information for the event, which is open to the public, can be found at mendozaevents.nd.edu/Encyclical. Notre Dame students, faculty and staff members may attend the sessions free of charge, but should check the conference website for details regarding registration for meals. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home), released in June, offered an appeal to "every person living on this planet for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet.” The encyclical criticized consumerism and irresponsible development, and made a moral and religious argument for sustainable environmental practices on a global scale. In September, 193 member states of the United Nations unanimously adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, described as a “set of targets that address the most important economic, social and governance challenges of our time.” The SDGs are a part of the U.N. initiative “Transforming Our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” which lays out an action plan to eradicate poverty and strengthen universal peace through sustainable development by 2030. The United Nations Global Compact has been designated by the U.N. as the official agency to coordinate and advance the business contribution to the SDGs. The U.N. Global Compact is a voluntary organization of more than 14,000 members, including 8,000-plus businesses in 150 countries, whose aim is to ensure that business activity adds value not just to the bottom line, but also to people, communities and the planet. Contact: Carol Elliott, Mendoza College of Business, 574-631-2627, Carol.L.Elliott.37@nd.edu Posted In: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion International Faith Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 09, 2020 Notre Dame signs agreement with Yad Vashem promoting Holocaust education and research August 22, 2016 Notre Dame to dedicate new center in Connemara, Ireland August 08, 2016 Paolo Carozza, director of Kellogg Institute, appointed to Vatican academy by Pope Francis July 28, 2016 Three questions with Latino theologian Peter J. Casarella June 20, 2016 Notre Dame to steward Newman University Church in Dublin For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn