Yusnan Hadi Mochtar 

International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Jember, Jember, East Java, Indonesia 

Josephine Marsya Vionetta   

International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Jember, Jember, East Java, Indonesia 

Oktaviani Rosmala 

International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Jember, Jember, East Java, Indonesia 

DOI: 

ABSTRACT 

This study aims to explore to what extent the religious actors contribute to environmental governance with the United Nations. Representing the role of non-state actors, it matters to discuss as International Relations studies gave little attention to these actors because of its own nature that is very state-centric. In the meantime, the secularistic view has made the religious dimension underexplored. Therefore, bringing the role of religious actors to the table discussion fills the gap and makes study more representative. Contextualizing the environmental issue is also significant, considering scholars tend to discuss ‘state’ rather than ‘non-state’. To analyze further, this study consists of two layers of analysis. First, it observes some efforts of religious actors’ collaboration with the United Nations in environmental governance across regions. Second, it looks at the extent to which the religious actors have legitimacy in advocating the issue. By employing the qualitative research method, especially by collecting data from desk review, it concludes that religious actors play pivotal roles in environmental governance. They collaborate with the United Nations, transcending territorial boundaries and scope, more than just in religious issues, signifying their legitimacy among a broader society                           

Keywords: Environmental Governance, Religious Actors, the United Nations