Institute for Environmental Stewardship 

Championing a More Just and Sustainable Future

Drive across the Ben Franklin Bridge and you’ll see an unsightly wastewater treatment plant situated next to a public housing development. Take a walk through Philadelphia and you’ll notice how the tree coverage dissipates in neighborhoods of racial minorities. These are both examples of environmental racism and one of the many issues the Institute for Environmental Stewardship (IES) is shedding light on.

Established in 2021, the Institute answers the pope’s call to “Care for Our Common Home” through events, guest lectures, sustainability initiatives and more.

“We’re trying to bring climate change to the forefront and really frame it as a social justice issue,” says Clint Springer, PhD, IES director, associate professor of biology and director of the Barnes Arboretum. “This is not an abstract thing that scientists are talking about, it’s an existential threat to society. And the people who are being affected by these decisions are not part of the decision-making process.”

Take urban tree coverage, for example — a source of shade and protection against heat-related illnesses and rising city temps. Springer explains that due to redlining policies dating back nearly a century, low-income, immigrant-majority neighborhoods had — and still do have — fewer trees than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods. It’s a topic the Institute covered at an IES-sponsored Day of Dialogue session, part of the University’s programming that invites attendees to own their role in making the University community more inclusive.

“People have to know that the problem is real. They have to know the problem isn’t going away without a solution. And they have to know they’re part of the solution,” says Springer.

IES also partners with the student-led group Green Fund on programming featuring guest speakers, clothing swaps, recycle-thons, environmental film festivals, fairtrade marketplaces and career networking opportunities.

“We host events and work on projects that are not only fun but also educate students about how they can make a difference in their environment and what that can mean for our community and the planet in the future,” says Miranda Oseguera, BS '24, environmental science and biology double major and Green Fund co-vice president.

Springer says he’s optimistic about the upcoming generation and their focus on the environment.

“They understand it and they see the intersection with other social justice issues and justice related to diversity, equity and inclusion,” he says. “They’re ready to do something about it.”