The importance of caring for the environment: a faith perspective

“Do I focus so much on the present that I compromise my afterlife? Or, do I prioritise my present in such a way that will only benefit me in my afterlife? The certainty of the future doesn’t absolve us of our responsibilities in the present.” Muslim (Deobandi), F, 29

We need to be deeply concerned about various issues that threaten our planet’s health and our own well-being. Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is leading to more extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels, and loss of biodiversity; pollution, both of the air and the oceans, is harming wildlife and human health; deforestation is destroying habitats and the natural balance of ecosystems. Looking ahead, scientists warn of increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, such as hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires. Sea levels are expected to rise significantly, threatening coastal communities and ecosystems. Food and water security could be jeopardised by changing climate patterns, affecting millions of people globally. Biodiversity loss is projected to accelerate, with many species facing extinction. What then do people of faith think about such a threat to humanity and God’s creation as a whole?

Exploring Faith-Based Environmentalism

Hindus demonstrate the highest levels of concern for the impacts of climate change, leading them to be the most active in various personal environmental actions. An impressive 64% of exclusivist Hindus have participated in rewilding initiatives, compared to 31% of exclusivist Muslims and 22% of exclusivist Christians. Hindus also lead in changing consumer habits (78%), donating to environmental charities (63%), and joining environmental groups (44%). They are also the most likely to consider environmentalism when voting.

Hindus and Sikhs elaborate on their high levels of environmentalism pointing to a more holistic approach to caring for humanity:

“With Sikhs…it’s definitely a strong belief. I think we believe that we should care for the environment and that we want things to be in a blissful kind of state, and we want to be in harmony with everything, and we want to reduce pollution and I think it’s definitely a priority…it’s kind of like an integrated approach to life. It’s about doing the right thing and it’s about doing what God wants us to do to be that better person and it’s about sort of protecting the resources for our future generations.” Sikh, female 35-44

“Sri Krishna…they are all considered Divine beings with superpowers…they came from above so there’s a connect with extraterrestrial life…all organisms are as crucial to the ecosystem as the humans are…So everything is connected – if you harm one part of the chain, one component, then inevitably the harm is going to come back to you. And you can’t mess with nature because if you mess with nature, later on you are going to pay the price.” Hindu, F, 35-44

In stark contrast, exclusivist Christians show the highest levels of climate change denial, with 31% agreeing with the statement “I don’t believe the global climate is changing,” compared to 17% of exclusivist Muslims. Generally, Christians are the least likely to recognize the harms of climate change, engage in personal environmental actions, or vote with environmentalism in mind. 

Despite their climate denial, exclusivist Christians hold strong beliefs in their faith’s requirement to care for the world, indicating that influences other than faith are guiding their outlook on climate change. However some Christians pointed towards a belief that environmentalism was not necessary as God would be returning to restore the Earth:

“Obviously Revelations tells us that the Lord is going to come back, so societies are getting worse even with the riots that are happening, but the Lord’s coming back soon, so there’s a level of comfortability that the Lord’s gonna come back…the Bible said you work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, so [people think that] all I have to do is work on my own salvation because the Lord’s coming back, so then it kind of takes away from the other things like looking after the environment.” Christian, F, 35-44

The Role of Faith in Environmental Stewardship

Hindus, Muslims, and Christians consistently believe their faith requires them to care for the world. This belief is most pronounced among exclusivist Muslims (92%) and exclusivist Christians (82%), showing a consistent view across faiths that humanity has an environmental responsibility. However, despite this common belief, there is little difference between those of faith and those of no faith regarding environmental concern, action, and voting. Hindus are the most concerned and active, followed by Muslims and lastly Christians. This suggests that cultural and socio-political influences significantly impact the environmental concerns and actions of different faith groups, rather than religious doctrine alone.

Generational Shifts in Environmental Engagement

Younger respondents were the most likely to agree with the statement that God is in control and therefore there is no need to worry about climate change, with 33% and 34% of the two youngest groups compared to only 11% of the 65+ group. However, younger populations are also more likely to agree with the statement that “God is an environmentalist” and are more concerned about and engaged in environmental actions compared to older generations. For instance, 46% of 18-24-year-olds agree that “God is an environmentalist,” compared to just 17% of those aged 65+. This trend indicates a generational shift in integrating religious beliefs with environmental stewardship.

Barriers to Environmental Action in Faith Communities

Despite a widespread belief in the responsibility to care for the world, the environment is often not at the top of priorities for many individuals, justified by other pressing concerns and often the assertion that their faith leaders and faith communities do not discuss such issues. 

The survey showed a notable disjunct between faith related environmental concern and action, showing a recognition of faith stewardship within scripture did not necessarily result in environmental action, the interviews helped elaborate as to why such a disjunct exists. Blame was placed on a lack of emphasis from faith leaders, conflicting cultural upbringings and a need to  prioritise other issues facing humanity.

“Do you think sometimes that faith spends a lot of time on teaching us the morals of life, but does not necessarily give you the education tools to do so?” Christian (Catholic), F, 52

“I think for people of faith, human life tends to kind of come to the forefront. And maybe when there are so many global human crises, that gets prioritised over things that don’t seem as immediate.” Muslim (Deobandi), F, 29

Many individuals interpret environmental stewardship as important to their faith, but without strong guidance from religious leaders, families, or communities, this belief often does not translate into action.

“There is a lack of awareness. Lack of education as well, and just not enough role models. We have role models, but they’re not talking. They’re not giving a call to action.” Hindu, M, 31

“There are no Community Champions, or Leaders from the mosque promoting [environmentalism], and there would be more people if there was more information out there shared by Imams locally on social media.” Muslim, M, 43

“Never in all my life when I went to the synagogue, did anybody ever speak about environmental issues.” Jew, F, 64 

“It’s not often that environmentalism comes into the picture when the Master is giving their talk. I personally see very limited discussion on that issue.” Buddhist, M, 54  

Cultural and upbringing factors also play a significant role. For instance, littering may not be seen as important in some cultures, whilst this can be superseded by faiths particularly centred on environmental awareness, such as Jains: 

 “If the family imparts these values at a very early point in life and teaches us about conserving the environment and being nonviolent to all living things and all those things…then I think people in my religion are stricter with these beliefs and they hold these beliefs quite dear to the heart.” Hindu (Jain), M, 20

Both Jains and Muslims originating from outside of the UK may have wildly different views on environment

“Even though our religion says that we all need to make sure we look after our environment and our surroundings, [some people of different cultures] were raised in dirty environments or they were not really taught how to look after the environment, [so they still litter]. I think culture has a big role to play, not just religion.” Muslim, F, 26 

Whilst a Sikh respondent spoke of the cultural importance of originating from Punjab and coming from a farming background

“If you look at India and you look at the Punjab, [we] come from an agricultural farming background. My ancestry is agricultural. So, acres of farmland is preserved through generations and…it’s kept because it’s ancestral land. And that in itself is brilliant for the environment. We feed the world.” Sikh, F, 43. 

The Opportunity for Faith Leaders

There is a real opportunity for religious leaders to shape environmental priorities. Faith leadership, family upbringing, and cultural context are crucial in mobilising faith communities towards environmental action. The involvement of religious leaders in promoting environmental stewardship can bridge the gap between coherent theology and practical action, encouraging a more robust engagement with environmental issues across faith communities.

Conclusion

Views within faith groups are diverse and can even be contradictory. We have Christians who agree in the need for environmental stewardship as per the faith requirements, whilst others place more consideration on the book of revelations and the belief that God will restore the earth. We have cultural and familial impacts that may cause those within the same faith groups to view environmentalism very differently. Despite the differences it was consistently clear the influence of faith leaders is high and that they may not be discussing environmentalism. 

Understanding the intricate relationship between faith, culture, and environmental action is crucial in addressing the environmental challenges we face. By recognizing the potential of faith leaders to inspire change and the influence of cultural upbringing, we can foster a more proactive and unified approach to caring for our planet. The coming decades will require collective effort and a deep commitment to environmental stewardship to ensure a sustainable future for all.

“There is the idea that human destiny is in God’s hands, or a (need to) focus on the afterlife rather than early stewardship [towards the environment].” Christian (Pentecostal), F, 29