Teaching the “Politics of Earth”: Reimagining Environmental Education for Planetary Justice in India

Abstract This paper addresses the paradox of environmental education in India, where escalating ecological crises are treated as de-politicized facts in formal curricula. The manuscript argues that the nation’s environmental challenges are fundamentally a matter of planetary justice, driven by political and economic choices. We propose a conceptual framework that fuses the rigorous threads of Earth System Science with the critical insights of political ecology and the empowering principles of critical pedagogy. This new curriculum is designed not merely to teach science, but to courageously confront the “ politics of Earth .” Using a transdisciplinary qualitative inquiry and case studies of a formal school and an informal community learning centre, the research reveals a profound dichotomy: formal education promotes rote learning and individual action, while the informal model empowers learners through direct engagement with political struggles. The discussion argues that a transformative approach is needed to merge these two worlds, and the paper provides a conceptual framework and recommendations for a justice-oriented pedagogy that fosters critical thinking and empowers a new generation to address the root causes of environmental injustice.