CLIMATE EDUCATION ALSO NEEDS ACTION

SDG 13 (CLIMATE ACTION) REPORT
Academic Year 2023-2024

The Lasallian community aims to contribute to SDG 13 on a practical level. It is sufficient to say that DLSU is a rich provider of education throughout various fields of study, and they definitely have not left out their approaches to deepen the understanding of individuals on the different SDGs.

That being said, different courses have been developed in the university, specifically to contribute to certain SDGs. Examples of this would be how The Gokongwei College of Engineering (GCOE) and the College of Science (COS) would continue to promote their course programs that advocate for environmental SDGs like Energy Engineering, Climate Science, Power Plant Engineering, Environmental Sustainability, Wind Resource Assessment, etc. Additionally, the academic year of 2023-2024 specifically would consist of various climate-action-centered seminars for the DLSU community, a few being Climate Resilience by Design provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Be the Change provided by DSLU’s School of Graduate Studies, and the Launching Crest Platforms seminar by ANIMOLABS, that specifically focused on discussing climate-driven technology solutions.

However, with all these courses offered and these seminars conducted, the Lasallian community understands that such is not enough when it comes to engaging in climate action. With that, AY 2023-2024 would also consist of various SGD13-centered activities on campus and outside of campus, that more than just educate, allow individuals to engage in practical climate action. In the Manila Campus, the Circular Economy and the Upcycling programs would be implemented by students to promote creativity through climate action. In these programs, individuals created furniture for the campus made from waste materials collected during the campus cleanup that would be part of the program. These student programs would also focus on the promotion of environmentally-friendly paper cups to be used by the Lasallian community on campus.

Operations of DLSU would also have their share of engaging in practical climate action, specifically with things related to habitat protection and biodiversity conservation, by monitoring their green spaces on campus with the help of the Office of the AVC for Facilities Management. They would also implement tree-planting activities in and out of campus, forming partnerships with companies like World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and SoilMate. Additionally, the Lasallian community extends their efforts of promoting climate action to other communities outside of campus, by organizing outreach programs and or workshops on nature-based learning and environmental sustainability, for elementary students in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

Taking urgent action to combat climate-related dilemmas in the Philippines is something that the Lasallian community chooses to take seriously, wherein they understand that deep and continuous education is necessary when it comes to facing it, hence why seminars and courses on climate action are regularly provided by the institution. However, although education is necessary, it is not enough for the DLSU community when it comes to engaging in climate action, for they know that real change only happens when practical things are done about the situation.