DLSU-D Shares Sustainability Initiatives at Lasallian Research Seminar 2026

De La Salle University–Dasmariñas (DLSU-D) presented its sustainability initiatives and two-decade environmental advocacy experience at the Lasallian Research Seminar 2026 in Rome, Italy, held from October 19 to 23. Prof. Marlon C. Pareja, Principal of the Basic Education Division, served as a resource speaker, sharing the University’s campus sustainability practices and its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.

Organized by the Generalate of the Brothers of the Christian Schools under the theme “Everything Is Connected,” the seminar brought together Lasallian educators, Brothers, and partners from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Discussions centered on integral ecology, drawing on Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ and the Institute’s 2025–2026 reflection on universal fraternity and care for creation.

Pareja presented environmental advocacy as a shared institutional commitment that connects the Lasallian Core Principles, the Laudato Si’ Goals, the Global Compact on Education, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the documents of the 46th General Chapter. He also discussed practical approaches to campus sustainability following the delegation’s visit to Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo, the integral ecology center founded by Pope Francis.

Using DLSU-D’s Project Carbon Neutral as an example, Pareja explained how the University measured its carbon footprint, offset it through tree planting and campus greening, and pursued emissions mitigation in electricity use, transportation, water, and waste management. He also presented the University’s Ecological Solid Waste Management Program, which reduced campus waste disposal from 12 to four dump trucks per month even as enrollment grew.

“The Borgo showed us a garden that teaches,” Pareja said. “But most of our schools have a courtyard, a canteen and a tight budget, and that is enough. Every campus is already teaching. The question is whether our schools reflect what we teach and what we believe.”

Pareja joined the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD) delegation, which included Mr. Mark Joseph Tinao, Director of the Lasallian Institute for the Environment (LIFE) of De La Salle Philippines; Ms. Jaja Bibar of the La Salle Botanical Gardens, and Mr. Antonio Maralit, Director of DLSU’s Laudato Si Center.

Animo La Salle! 💚🤍

This article aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)

• No. 13: Climate Action