Examining the Influence of Education for Sustainable Development and Spirituality
In this blog post, which is part of NORRAG’s “Social Emotional Learning and Pro-Environmental Behaviour” blog series, Brooke Samaratunga looks at the intersections between social emotional learning, religion, and environmental practices.
The marriage between ESD (education for sustainable development) and SEL (social-emotional learning) has historically been a topic of separation. With climate change becoming a more rampant issue, climate anxiety has been a strong feeling among many adults and children. In school systems, SEL and ESD can be integrated into the education model to better help students cope with their climate-related anxiety. Fostering positive emotions toward the natural world is one way to help people feel more invested in protecting the Earth. In classrooms around the world, the natural world has begun to be integrated into teaching practices, such as doing nature walks and planting trees. While these events are beneficial, they can also be fleeting if the proper emotions are not tied to them. Understanding how ESD is implemented in different countries is one vital piece of this research project and will be the focus of this literature review.
Additionally, it is vital to explore the relationship between moral identity and the environment. Moral identity and a strong moral compass shape the way communities feel about their connection to their neighbors and the environment at large. Moral identity can be viewed as a motivating factor for protecting the environment, to some extent, a phenomenon known as religious environmentalism. The three main research questions are the following: what cultural, social, and environmental factors influence the success of ESD initiatives in different local contexts? What role does religious environmentalism play in motivating collective environmental action? How can combining SEL, ESD, and moral frameworks foster more sustainable and emotionally resilient communities?
ESD in UNESCO’s Learning Cities
ESD has been implemented in UNESCO’s Learning Cities and the cases of Bogotá, Colombia and Chefchaouen, Morocco demonstrates how ESD can successfully be integrated into education and cultural centers of both countries. In Bogotá, ESD tools have highlighted the importance of integrating culture and nature. Utilizing Colombia’s natural world through education has proven to be beneficial as the wetlands and diverse ecology has proven to be strong learning environments for students. Through integrating nature walks into the curriculum, students have been able to foster a stronger sense of connection to the Earth as education on biodiversity, ecosystems, and sustainable practices have been highlighted. The city has implemented artistic mobile environmental classrooms which demonstrates the importance of localization. These mobile classrooms utilize music, dance, and theater to understand environmental issues, as these artforms are connected to the Colombian national identity. Through community engagement and sustainability awareness, Bogotá has demonstrated how education can occur in informal settings which can prove to be meaningful (UNESCO, 2021).
In Chefchaouen, Morocco energy efficiency has been a strong focus due to its arid climate. The city established an Energy Info Centre (EIC) which provides free education and resources on sustainable energy to residents. Community members can borrow tools such as thermal cameras, watt meters, and thermometers in the hope to make energy use more transparent. Through education on energy consumption, community members can reduce their energy use. The active hub of the EIC highlights how community-level education is vital for promoting sustainable behavioral change related to climate change (UNESCO, 2021).
These changes, even if seemingly minuscule, have a major impact on community members by demonstrating the strong link between education and nature. By making environmental education more sustainable and accessible, communities can understand how small changes can have great impacts on the environment.
Religious Environmentalism
The idea of religious environmentalism is one that scholars have debated to understand what drives human emotions and actions related to climate change. Religion is believed to be a moral compass for many people as some believe the Earth reflects the ideas of higher powers. Religion denounces immoral behavior and promotes sustainable behavior such as taking care of the Earth and one’s neighbors. Religions in Colombia and Morocco play out in diverse ways as Christianity/Catholicism is dominant in Colombia and Islam in Morocco. Dissecting the ethos around religion in these two countries will aid in understanding the outlook on environmentalism.
Researchers found that different Christian sects have differing attitudes toward environmentalism. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, as it ranks fourth in plant species richness, fifth place in mammal diversity, and first place in bird diversity with thousands of species living in the country. More than 1000 species are threatened with extinction due to human activity. Industries in Colombia have converted forests into pasture for livestock while building human settlements. Illegal crops, mining, and logging have also threatened natural life in the country. According to various studies from 1998-2018, over 80% of Colombians believed that religion and the image of God were important to them, as Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion. From 2018 onward, the percentage of Roman Catholics decreased in the country as the number of agnostics increased to 46.5% in 2018. In a 2014 study, Christian Colombians believed that environmental protection was a priority, but participation in and trust in environmental organizations declined, demonstrating the gap between feelings and actions regarding environmental matters. Pope Francis’s emphasis on global climate change sent an important message to the global Christian community and encouraged Christian communities to take measures to address it (Ruiz Agudelo and Cortes-Gómez, 2021). The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) marked an important conference for religious leaders, community members, academics, and scientists in Colombia to tackle climate change together. This forum helped bring the idea of climate change back to the local setting as the Amazon forest and river became major topics of discussion. Various Christian leaders, scientists, and lawyers highlighted the importance of protecting both natural elements and indigenous Amazonian communities. Bringing science and religion together helps bridge the gap between these communities, as climate change affects all people (Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, 2025).
While most of the research around religion and environmentalism focuses on Christian communities, the Muslim population also directly faces climate change as they bring an important lived experience to this discussion. Recent studies conducted in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco have shown that Islam has served as a coping mechanism for people facing environmental changes. In Islam, the ideas of Tawhid and Khalifa are cornerstones to the discussion of environmentalism. Tawhid refers to the oneness of God and how nature is a source of life. Khalifa highlights the ethical and moral obligation of humans to become caretakers of the environment. These terms drive the moral ethos of Muslims to be stewards of the Earth. Many of the surveyed believed that the changes in the environment was due to God, and if they entered a premature dry season it was because of God. One person stated, “.Our planet is created by God, that is why nothing goes to waste, people are the ones ruining the environment,” This quote demonstrates how humans are destroying the environment and need to act to reverse the damage (Ou-Salah et al., 2024). To take care of the Earth, Morocco has installed over 600 green mosques in the country. The green mosques utilize renewable energy, switching to efficient LED lighting, photovoltaic electricity, and solar water heating. These sustainable practices are directly linked to pleasing God and to understanding that humans need to take action to help protect the environment (Prisco, 2016). The ethical and moral responsibility of taking care of the environment is closely linked with the beliefs of Islam.
As ongoing research, it will be important to examine the aspects of religion and sustainability to determine the human characteristics geared towards protecting the environment. With the ambiguity of religion, it is challenging to make concrete observations as every person has a different relationship with religion that is ever evolving. Understanding how themes of SEL and ESD can help people cope with eco-anxiety and help develop sustainable practice will be the cornerstone of this research. The gaps among ESD, SEL, religion, and environmental practices need further exploration.
Works Cited
Interfaith Rainforest Initiative. Religious Leaders in Bogotá Join the Great Movement for the Protection of the Amazon – Interfaith Rainforest Initiative. 8 Aug. 2025, https://www.interfaithrainforest.org/2025/08/08/religious-leaders-in-bogota-join-the-great-movement-for-the-protection-of-the-amazon/.
Ou-Salah, L., et al. “Rain Has to Do with God’s Will’: Religion and Perceptions of Environmental Change in a Muslim Community in the Souss-Massa Region of Morocco.” Social Compass, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686241239615.
Prisco, Jacopo. “Morocco’s Mosques Are Going Green.” CNN, 16 Nov. 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/16/africa/morocco-green-mosques.
Ruiz Agudelo, César Augusto, and Angela María Cortes-Gómez. “Sustainable Behaviors, Prosocial Behaviors, and Religiosity in Colombia. A First Empirical Assessment.” Environmental Challenges, vol. 4, 2021, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021000676.
UNEP. Islamic Conference Adopts Religion and Environment Strategy. 3 Oct. 2019, https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/islamic-conference-adopts-religion-and-environment-strategy.
———. Religious and Indigenous Leaders Join Forces on Initiative to End Tropical Deforestation in Colombia. 23 Nov. 2018, https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/religious-and-indigenous-leaders-join-forces-initiative-end-tropical.
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. ESD Implementation in Learning Cities. UNESCO, 2021, https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379535?posInSet=5&queryId=c2f3c798-bae9-4cc6-929f-a743f19e0d1d.
Author bio
Brooke Samaratunga is a second-year Master of International Affairs (MIA) candidate at SIPA concentrating in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy and specializing in International Conflict Resolution.
Brooke completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity College, where she double majored in International Studies and Art History with a minor in Chinese Language. Before joining SIPA, Brooke worked at a national law firm where she was a Case Manager in the Corporate Immigration department. Brooke is passionate about human rights, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding. Brooke looks forward to connecting with you to discuss SIPA and life beyond SIPA.