Constructing Ecological Identity in Islamic Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Green Branding and Sustainability Management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66931/jmpi.v2i01.400Keywords:
Eco-Islam, Green Branding, Sustainability Management, Islamic Higher EducationAbstract
Environmental sustainability has emerged as a defining dimension of institutional legitimacy in higher education, driven by the global expansion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and growing expectations for universities to demonstrate ecological responsibility. Within Islamic higher education, however, a persistent gap remains between rich theological doctrines concerning environmental stewardship and the limited institutionalization of ecological identity within governance and reputation management practices. This study aims to examine how ecological identity can be constructed through the integration of Eco-Islamic values, sustainability management, and green branding strategies. Employing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) guided by the PRISMA protocol, the study synthesizes scholarly publications indexed in Scopus and SINTA between 2016 and 2026. The review reveals that existing scholarship largely treats Islamic environmental ethics, sustainability governance, and green branding as separate domains, resulting in fragmented conceptual understanding. In response, this study develops the Eco-Islam Green Branding Architecture, a novel conceptual framework that links theological values, institutional sustainability practices, and environmental communication within a unified model of ecological identity formation. The framework contributes both theoretically and practically by providing a pathway through which Islamic higher education institutions can cultivate authentic ecological legitimacy and advance toward the realization of a Sustainable Islamic University
References
Amin, H. (2024). Value-based frameworks and peace education in faith-neutral, faith-based and faith-inspired schools in Islamabad: a comparative analysis. Journal of Peace Education, 21(1), 54–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17400201.2023.2289655
Baiocco, S. (2025). Advancing Sustainable Portfolio Selection: Insights From a Structured Literature Review. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70328
Baker-Shelley, A., van Zeijl-Rozema, A., & Martens, P. (2017). A conceptual synthesis of organisational transformation: How to diagnose, and navigate, pathways for sustainability at universities? Journal of Cleaner Production, 145, 262–276. https://doi.org/10.10234/jfg/456
Brown, A. R. (2025). Compatibility and conflict between environmentalist and occupational identities in Northern California’s forests. Environmental Sociology, 11(1), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2024.2398535
Chatzigianni, E., & Mallen, C. (2023). Exploring Congruence in Global Sport Governance between Environmental Policy and Practice. Sustainability (Switzerland) , 15(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021462
Faletehan, A. F. (2024). Embracing Duality: Exploring the Synergy of Traditional and Religious HRM Practices to Enhance Volunteer Retention in Faith-Based Organizations. Human Service Organizations Management, Leadership and Governance, 48(5), 649–666. https://doi.org/10.1080/23303131.2024.2353041
Fauziyah, N., & Sari, M. (2025). Development of Interactive Islamic Education Learning Media through ChatGPT Integration. Abjadia: International Journal of Education. https://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/abjadia/article/download/3342
Garg, R., & Mickenautsch, S. (2022). Risk of selection bias assessment in the NINDS rt-PA stroke study. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-022-01651-4
Groves, K. S., Margolis, J., & Gibson, C. (2025). Cultivating the experience of dignity at work during digital transformation: Protective & proactive strategies for leaders and organizations. Organizational Dynamics, 54(3P2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2024.101103
Harvey, T. (2024). The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies: A Tradition of Inquiry in Holistic Transformative Mission Scholarship. Transformation, 41(3), 245–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/02653788241263309
Heyward, M., & Krikowa, N. (2023). Embedding Indigenous cultural competencies within a digital media and communication context in Australian higher education. Higher Education Research and Development, 42(2), 350–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2022.2063815
Jimu, T., & Chidoko, C. (2025). Faith and Finance: Exploring the Impact of Religious Values on Institutional Accounting and Governance. Journal for Business, Development and …, 1(2957–7136). https://doi.org/10.1056/jk/566
Juschten, M., & Omann, I. (2023). Evaluating the relevance, credibility and legitimacy of a novel participatory online tool. Environmental Science and Policy, 146, 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.05.001
Keilmann, J., & Koch, T. (2024). When Environmental Claims are Empty Promises: How Greenwashing Affects Corporate Reputation and Credibility. Environmental Communication, 18(3), 266–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2023.2267782
Konwar, Z., Wei, Y., Wood, G., & Eng-Tuck Cheah, J. (2024). The public as a definitive stakeholder of corporate environmental sustainability practices: A cross-national institutional approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122666
Kulal, M. A., & Zaini, A. W. (2026). Liberating the Classroom: A Dialogical Deconstruction of Islamic Pedagogy under the Independent Curriculum. EDUNOVATION: Journal of Education and Innovation, 1(1), 60–75. https://doi.org/10.16556/jfggj/56754
Latuapo, A. (2023). Cakalele Dance: Religious and Social Ethics in Islamic and Environmental Education. Al-Albab, 12(1), 133–150. https://doi.org/10.24260/alalbab.v12i1.2758
Licandro, O., Sánchez, L. C. O., & Huapaya-Huertas, O. (2023). Consistency between Definition and Reasons for Applying Corporate Social Responsibility: The Perspective of Social Responsibility Managers. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(20). https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014838
Martínez Aguilar, E. D., Witjes, S., & ten Bos, R. (2025). Opening closures: Organizational arrangements and moral articulations in institutional global hegemonic and local counter-hegemonic sustainability discourses. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsust.2025.100304
Meilani, S. D. I., Suyono, S., & Abnisa, A. P. (2025). Interpersonal communication patterns in developing excellent character through student discipline in islamic boarding schools. El-Fatih: Jurnal Dakwah Dan Penyuluan Islam, 4(01), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.10345/jfgh/6576
Muhammad aiman awalluddin, anisa safiah maznorbalia, & amer fawwaz mohamad yasid. (2025). Islamic Brotherhood and Business Social Responsibility (Bsr) in Malaysia: a Qualitative Exploration of Islamic Faith-Based Business Practices. Hamdard Islamicus, 48(2). https://doi.org/10.57144/hi.v48i2.954
Najah, W., & Romadoni, I. F. (2026). Transforming Tauhid Understanding through Innovative Team Games Tournament Implementation in Junior High School. Edunovation: Journal of Education and Innovation, 1(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1234/fghj/5677
Nylenna, H. (2024). Bridging organizational identity work and institutional work: Preserving the identity of the Church of Norway through institutional change. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2024.101332
Orogun, D. O. (2023). Hybrid Leadership in African Neo-Pentecostalism. Religions, 14(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050632
Rohman, F., & Fuady, A. S. (2026). Renegotiating Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative AI: A Case Study of the “Thinking Partner” Model in High School Learning. EDU-RELIGIA: Jurnal Keagamaan Dan Pembelajarannya, 9(1), 43–53. https://doi.org/10.104556/jfgf/654767
Serenko, A. (2025). A structured literature review of personality traits research in the knowledge behavior context: synthesis of the findings and practical recommendations. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-10-2024-0374
Ski-Berg, V., & Røyseng, S. (2024). Institutional change in higher music education: A quest for legitimacy. International Journal of Music Education, 42(2), 191–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/02557614231164154
Spearing, E. R., Mah, E. Y., Jagota, R., Wade, K. A., Blank, H., & Lindsay, D. S. (2024). Sensitization instructions can reduce the misinformation effect and improve the eyewitness confidence–accuracy relationship. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. https://doi.org/10.4556/dghj/56667
Suyono, S., Fathurrohman, F., Fuady, A. S., & Huda, M. (2026). Reconstructing the philosophy of islamic eco-social entrepreneurship: pesantren-based coastal development as a paradigm of ethical transformation. Jurnal Al-Ijtimaiyyah, 12(1), 65–101. https://doi.org/10.56577/jfghh/56567
Svenningsson, J., Höst, G., Hultén, M., & Hallström, J. (2022). Students’ attitudes toward technology: exploring the relationship among affective, cognitive and behavioral components of the attitude construct. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 32(3), 1531–1551. https://doi.org/10.10345/hj/567
Thenoz, E., Juteau, S., & Rowe, F. (2024). E-commerce transformation: A literature review from an institutional and organizational perspective. Electronic Markets, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-024-00740-0
Yang, Y. J., Wahyuni, D., Kweh, Q. L., & Chen, R. (2025). Faith-Based Insights: Exploring the Impact of Islamic Values on ESG Performance. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.70319
Yeon, J., Song, H. J., & Kim, B. (2025). Moral Imperative or Economic Necessity? The Role of Institutional Investors in the Corporate Social Responsibility—Financial Performance Relationship. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020582
Yokus, G. (2025). A Multi-Stakeholder Vision for Designing AI-Empowered Teacher Education: Exploring Key Components for Sustainable Institutional Change. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219815
Yuniarti, V., Nurcholis, M., Hasanah, E. S., & Prasetyo, B. M. (2026). Optimalisasi Learning Management System (LMS) dalam Pembelajaran PAI. Jurnal Ragam Pengabdian, 3(1 (Spesial Issue)), 2200–2207. https://doi.org/10.43556/hgj/566
Zakkiyah, U., Tanzil, A. R., Fuady, A. S., & Romlah, S. (2025). Implementation of Digital Media In Islamic Religious Education Learning In The Modern Era. Akademika: Jurnal Keagamaan Dan Pendidikan, 21(2), 174–183. https://doi.org/10.108445/jgdfd/436
Zhang, Q., & de Vries, A. (2022). Seeking Moral Legitimacy through Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Multinationals. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095245
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 DAAR EL-IDARAH: Journal of Islamic Education Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
