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About the Climate Institute

The last third of the twentieth century witnessed a shift in Earth-human relations. The human species now threatens Earth’s capacity to sustain life as we know it. At this pivotal moment in history all fields of human inquiry are called upon to collaborate in what the eminent cultural historian Thomas Berry called the "Great Work" of our era: to transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period of integral Earth-human relations. Our Jesuit commitment to justice demands what Pope Francis has called an "integral ecology" that "hears the cries of the poor and the cries of the earth."

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Originally founded in 2021 as the Center for Climate, Society, and the Environment, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment provides resources and opportunities to students, faculty, community members, and leaders in the inland northwest to meet the unprecedented challenges facing humanity and the wider natural environment in the 21st century. 

About the Director

Brian Henning
Dr. Brian G. Henning is the inaugural director and founder of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment. Originally from Boise, Idaho, Dr. Henning joined Gonzaga’s faculty in 2008 and is a Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Environmental Studies.
 
He earned a B.A. from Seattle University and an M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Fordham University.
 

An award-winning author, Dr. Henning has written or edited more than 14 books and 35 articles and chapters, including Riders in the Storm: Ethics in an Age of Climate Change (Anselm 2015), Climate Change Ethics and the Non-human World (Routledge 2020), and Value, Beaty and Nature (SUNY 2023). He has delivered more than 160 talks to general and academic audiences in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Professor Henning can be reached at henning@gonzaga.edu. For more on his work, visit https://connect.gonzaga.edu/henning.

A Strategic Plan Priority

The Climate Institute’s formation is one of twelve institutional "actions" affirmed in Gonzaga's strategic plan, adopted in the summer of 2023. Noting the Jesuit commitment to justice includes caring for humanity’s common home, Gonzaga's Board of Trustees made their own commitment by establishing this academic institute dedicated to understanding and responding to environmental crises to realize a just world. (See Action 10 in the Strategic Plan, pg. 32)  


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Motto

For our common home.

Vision

We envision a transition to integral Earth-human relations characterized by thriving, equitable human societies within flourishing ecological communities.  

Mission

Informed by an abiding commitment to a just society and care for the planet, the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment engages in regional capacity building, scholarship, and teaching to promote the flourishing of inland northwest communities, waters, and lands in the face of a changing climate.

Affiliated Organizations & Partners

Spokane Public Schools

Spokane Public Schools the second largest school district in Washington State, serving over 29.000 students.

ClimeTime

ClimeTime is facilitated by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and funded by the WA State Legislature.

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Inland Northwest Land Conservancy

The Conservancy works with our community to identify and protect special places throughout the region, protecting private lands through legal agreements with landowners.

AASHE Centers for Sustainability Across the Curriculum

Our Climate Institute is recognized by AASHE as a National Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum.

New Priorities Foundation

Focuses on promoting sustainable food and agriculture, healthy eating, land preservation and climate protection.

NEWESD 101

NEWESD 101 promotes educational excellence by delivering essential, cooperative services to schools and other learning communities.

USCAN Climate Action Network

USCAN is a vital network for 190+ organizations active on climate change.

City of Spokane Sustainability Action Subcommittee

Research solutions to both mitigate our contribution to climate change and help make our community more resilient in the face of these changes.

Spokane Climate Project

The Spokane Climate Project assesses the science of climate change and its impact on Spokane now and throughout this century.

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UW Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

The University of Washington Institute for Science and Mathematics Education has created partnerships to develop educational models and practices in STEM education.

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EPA

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is a key partner in our Climate Literacy Project work through environmental education grants.

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Measure Meant

Measure Meant addresses the climate crises by helping businesses develop sustainability strategies and operate their organizations with purpose.

Contact the Gonzaga Climate Institute

Send a message
502 E. Boone Ave
Spokane, WA 99258