Sustainable development through religious environmental engagement? Evidence from Switzerland

Abstract

This article examines the engagement of religious organizations in addressing environment‐related sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Switzerland and its barriers. To this end, it draws upon semi‐structured interviews with church representatives who are actively engaged in environmental sustainability. We use a planetary boundaries framework with five capitals; natural and physical capital, which refer to the environment (e.g., work to increase biodiversity) and buildings/physical structures (e.g., through PV panels/energy retrofitting projects); financial capital (e.g., cost‐effectiveness); social/symbolic capital (e.g., public campaigning) and human capital (e.g., educational campaigns). The results show that substantial steps are being taken to increase engagement. This is largely due to faith‐based organizations such as Oeku and platforms such as Eco‐Eglise. However, approaches remain heterogeneous with significant tensions, particularly concerning legislative and financial issues, staff role ambiguity, and staff and time resource management. This article contributes to academic research on sustainable development by shedding light on the barriers of religious engagement in environment‐related SDGs. At the same time, it highlights the potential of umbrella organizations in augmenting and accelerating religious environmental engagement.