Keough 91ÊÓÆµ of Global Affairs
Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy; Director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative
National Catholic Reporter
April 02, 2026
Amid the scenic papal gardens outside Rome in early March, the Vatican and the University of Notre Dame launched a new global sustainability initiative to apply Catholic principles to addressing climate change and other ecological threats facing the planet. Holy Cross Fr. Robert Dowd, president of the Catholic university in Indiana, said in a statement that the alliance left its inaugural meeting "with a renewed sense of purpose and hope" and that its efforts reflect "the deep connections between environmental sustainability and human dignity and flourishing." A central figure was Holy Cross Fr. Daniel Groody, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame. They were later joined by Arun Agrawal, a renowned scholar of environmental politics and sustainability who in January 2025 became the founding director of Notre Dame's Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative, which leads the university's efforts around food, energy, water and infrastructure.
ABC57
Video
October 28, 2025
“There’s doom and gloom in the world and there’s climate change and there’s biodiversity loss and there’s poverty. We think of sustainability as a way to balance social and economic and environmental goals…We think of sustainability as a way to think and hope for a better future, and to hope not just in a passive way, but to work. But to do, act, and to bring about the changes that we want to see that improve lives for people and the planet," said Arun Agrawal, a professor and the director of the sustainability initiative at Notre Dame.
ABC57
Audio
July 30, 2025
For a closer look at this, ABC57's Brianna Clark spoke to Notre Dame Professor Arun Agrawal, who is also the director of the university’s sustainability initiative. He tells us the proposal is expected to face legal challenges, making it difficult for businesses to decide how to move forward right now.
Axios
May 09, 2025
Arun Agrawal, a Notre Dame professor of development policy, offered initial thoughts on the new American pope while cautioning that it's early days. "[W]e can expect some continuity but we should also expect both innovation and new ideas to come from the new Pontiff as he leads the Vatican to address sustainability challenges," he said via email.
Faith and Sustainability Podcast
Audio
April 30, 2025
Our guest on this episode is Arun Agrawal, the inaugural director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. He serves as Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy in the Keough 91ÊÓÆµ of Global Affairs. He joins the show to talk about how the Initiative aims to transform sustainability research and practice as well as seeking to transform the field of sustainability itself through high-impact, multidisciplinary research and knowledge creation, curricular innovations and global engagement.
Good Morning Seattle
Video
April 22, 2025
Notre Dame professor Arun Agrawal joins Good Day Seattle following Pope Francis' death.