Integrating sustainability into religious education

This paper examines the integration of sustainability into Religious Education (RE) as a means to foster ethical awareness, critical thinking, and global citizenship. While RE has long engaged with moral inquiry and ethical reflection, its role in addressing sustainability remains inconsistent across curricula. By drawing on both religious and secular worldviews, this study explores how RE offers a distinctive space for students to critically engage with environmental responsibility, ethical dilemmas, and global challenges. The paper argues that a structured, interdisciplinary approach is essential to move sustainability education beyond theoretical discussion and into meaningful ethical action. It highlights how RE can connect with other subjects, such as geography and science, to provide a holistic understanding of sustainability. Furthermore, it examines how pedagogical strategies, including ethical case studies, interfaith perspectives, and project-based learning, might enhance students’ ability to analyse sustainability issues through diverse moral and philosophical frameworks. By embedding sustainability within RE, educators have scope to ensure that students develop not only a deeper appreciation of environmental ethics but also the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate complex global issues. The paper ultimately advocates for a more consistent and policy-driven integration of sustainability into RE curricula, ensuring its relevance for 21st-century education.