Islamic and Non-Religious Environmental Responsibility

The environmental significance is Allah’s ownership and authority. Muslims can reason that damaging creation carelessly shows a lack of respect for its Creator. The verse establishes a religious basis for responsibility; applying that belief to modern problems requires decisions about how best to care for the world.

Khalifah means a trustee or steward. Applied to environmental ethics, it describes humanity’s responsibility to look after creation. A trustee has use of something without having unlimited permission to destroy it. Humans may use natural resources to meet their needs, but stewardship challenges wasteful or destructive use. It also recognises that humans are connected with the rest of creation rather than separate from it.

Muslims believe they will be accountable to Allah on the Day of Judgement for how they have lived, including how they have treated the environment. Caring for the world is therefore a religious responsibility, not merely a personal preference.

Recycling, replanting trees, using energy more efficiently and choosing renewable energy can put stewardship into practice. These actions reduce harm or help repair damage, preserving the world entrusted to human care for future generations.

How fitra connects with environmental care

Fitra, also spelt fitrah, is the natural disposition with which humans are born: an inclination towards recognising Allah and living rightly.

Its connection with environmental responsibility is ethical. Muslims can understand respect for Allah’s creation and living in harmony with the environment as part of living in accordance with their God-given nature. Experiencing and caring for the natural world can also help them recognise its Creator.

Fitra concerns humanity’s underlying disposition; khalifah concerns the responsibility humans exercise. Together, they connect the kind of people humans should be with how they should act towards the world.

Humanist reasons for protecting the world

Humanists do not need belief in a creator to argue that the environment deserves protection. They use reason, evidence and empathy, considering the welfare of humans and other sentient animals—animals capable of experiences such as suffering. If environmental damage causes suffering or threatens future living conditions, there are strong reasons to prevent it.

Humanist Climate Action emphasises the interdependence of people and the natural world. Climate change threatens homes and food production through effects such as flooding and soil degradation. Clean rivers, woodlands and green spaces also support physical and mental well-being. Protecting the environment therefore helps protect the conditions in which life can flourish.

Humanists look to scientific enquiry and tested evidence to understand environmental problems and decide how to respond. They generally believe this is the one life we have and that people must take responsibility rather than expect a higher power to solve their problems. Concern for the legacy left to future generations provides a reason for sustainable living without belief in judgement after death.

Humanist Climate Action in practice

Humanist Climate Action is a network within Humanists UK. It encourages humanists to make their voices heard about the climate crisis and change their lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprint: the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their activities.

The network brings humanists together for individual and collective action. It aims to raise awareness of environmental damage, including climate change, species loss and biodiversity decline, and encourages other humanists to act. It also cooperates with other campaigns through membership of the Climate Coalition. This puts its ethical commitments into practice: evidence identifies the harm, concern for welfare supplies a reason to respond, and cooperation helps people work towards change.

A Humanist and a Muslim might therefore both reduce waste or support action on climate change. Their actions can agree even though their foundations differ: the Muslim may emphasise responsibility to Allah, while the Humanist emphasises evidence, welfare and human responsibility. Humanism is one non-religious perspective; not every atheist holds identical ethical views.

Global citizenship reaches beyond borders

Environmental problems do not stop at national boundaries. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global climate change, while their consequences can affect people far from where the emissions originated. Global citizenship means recognising that responsibilities extend beyond one’s own country.

Islamic stewardship concerns care for Allah’s creation as a whole, not just the environment within a particular nation. Humanist concern for welfare similarly gives reasons to protect people regardless of nationality. Both approaches can therefore support cooperation across borders rather than leaving environmental harm for other communities to deal with.

Sustainability also extends responsibility across generations. For Muslims, sustaining creation for future generations expresses stewardship. For Humanists, protecting future welfare follows from concern for humanity and the legacy of our actions. Both challenge the idea that present-day benefit justifies leaving avoidable damage to others.

Evaluating environmental responsibilities

One argument for strong environmental protection is that short-term convenience cannot justify serious, lasting harm to others. Muslims can support this through stewardship of Allah’s creation; Humanists can support it through preventing suffering and protecting future welfare.

However, environmental decisions can involve competing needs. Restricting a polluting industry may protect the environment but also threaten jobs or make essential goods more expensive. Concern for people’s immediate welfare is therefore relevant too.

A justified conclusion should weigh these consequences rather than assume that either economic activity or environmental protection always takes priority. Strong environmental responsibility can be combined with support for affected workers and affordable alternatives. This addresses immediate needs without treating them as a reason to ignore long-term harm. The central question is how to meet genuine human needs without passing avoidable damage to other people or future generations.

• Qur’an 7:54: Allah created and governs the world; “The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺.”
• Khalifah: humans are trustees of creation, not unrestricted owners; stewardship supports conservation and avoiding waste.
• Fitra: humanity’s natural inclination towards Allah and right living; environmental care can express this disposition.
• Humans are accountable to Allah on the Day of Judgement, including for their treatment of the environment.

Non-religious perspectives

• Humanists justify environmental care through reason, scientific evidence and empathy, considering human and animal welfare.
• Responsibility rests with people; protecting future generations matters without belief in a creator or an afterlife.
• Humanist Climate Action: raises awareness, encourages lower-carbon lifestyles, brings humanists together for individual and collective action, and cooperates through the Climate Coalition.
• Muslims and Humanists can agree on actions while differing over their ethical foundations.

Sustainability and global citizenship

• Protect future generations’ ability to meet their needs.
• Recognise responsibilities beyond national borders and cooperate to address shared environmental problems.
• Weigh long-term environmental harm against immediate needs such as employment and affordable essentials; justify how competing responsibilities should be balanced.