The research analyses the unified ideas of ecopsychology, eco-emotions and environmental education to foster environmental behavior effectively using a narrative-enhanced psycho-emotional method. Instead of acknowledging the psychopathological impacts of Eco-emotions, this study foregrounds the importance of incorporating these emotions in environment education. Even though the previous studies identified that nature-based activities ensure the human-nature attachments and the development of Eco-consciousness, they rarely incorporated the explicit psycho-emotional and narrative framework necessary for translating this awareness into sustained behavior. This research focuses more on how to achieve stronger connections with Nature by incorporating eco-emotions in environment education. The traditional environmental education methods have focused on the cognitive learning method, a model that has been criticized for failing to bridge the gap between knowledge and behavior (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002). This gave way to studying the interrelated ideas of ecopsychology and cognitive methods. The main objective of this method is to incorporate the concepts of Eco-emotions to develop hope, resilience, and pro-environmental behavior among learners. This study uses a qualitative approach to examine the nuanced ideas of eco-emotions, to foster effective environment-friendly behavior through narrative-enhanced environment education.

In the past few decades, the research interest in the field of environmental education (EE) has bloomed and been established further in various schools of theories, with the term itself appearing as early as 1948 and gaining significant momentum throughout the 1960s (Carter and Simmons, 2010). According to Stapp (1969), the father of Environmental Education (EE), it is defined as the aim at “producing a citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to help solve these problems, and motivated to work toward their solution.” This foundational definition, emphasizing knowledge, awareness, and motivated action, continues to guide the field’s efforts to cultivate environmentally literate citizens, particularly in the context of the global climate crisis (Corbett, 2021). The goal of Environment education is to cultivate citizens who are concerned about the environment and willing to take steps for their actions, educate them about the root cause of the ecological issues, and equip them with active and positive environment-friendly behaviors (Fang et al., 2022; Stapp, 1969). In Hungerford et al. (1980), curriculum developers established goals for developing environmental education, drawing on the ideas of William B. Stapp, Harvey, and the Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference. The four levels of environmental education goals are shown in the table below. The first level, “Ecological foundation,” seeks to provide sufficient knowledge, including the human impact and the ecosystem, concerning the environmental issues. The “Conceptual Awareness” guides the learners to develop an awareness of the individual and collective actions that have a greater influence on the environmental issue (Hungerford et al., 1980). The third level, “Investigation and evaluation,” equips students with the analytical skills necessary to evaluate environmental issues via problem-solving, scientific research, and data analysis. The final level, “Environment Action Skills,” guides the learners to be involved in positive environmental actions and sustainability, highlighting both individual and group accountability for the quality of the environment (Table 1).

The escalating global concern over climate change and environment degradation has cemented the critical relevance of these issues to both societies at large and the younger generation. Thus, environment education has been integrated as a form of action and solution in educational curricula (Leimbach and Milstein, 2022). Given the growing public concern over environmental issues, education must address this significant issue and assess the possible long-term effects of environmental degradation (Tilbury, 1995). Tilbury’s (1995) three-fold approach to Environment Education for Sustainability (EEFS) emphasizes three distinct pedagogical strategies, namely Education about the Environment, Education in Environment, and Education for the Environment. The objectives of these strategies are to educate awareness and to develop the knowledge and understanding about human-nature interactions (Tilbury, 1995).

Figure 1 illustrates the themes and different pedagogical approaches of environmental education by categorizing them into instructivism, deconstructivism, constructivism, and the integrated environmental educational approach, which is integrationism. “Instructivism,” a traditional teaching approach, emphasizes direct instruction and instructor-led learning, which focuses on transmitting information about environmental education and emphasizes the significance of professional development in relation to curriculum objectives (Onyesolu et al., 2013; Fang et al., 2022). This approach provides a learning method where the learners’ knowledge is constructed within the disciplines of ecology. The learning method asserts that the teachers are the primary learning agents, it doesn’t give room for self-discovery to the learners. Education about the environment aims to teach learners about the environmental concepts, which paves the way for critically examining issues logically and constructively (Fang et al., 2022). This theme of environmental education, which reflects the synoptic elements, reflects the basic knowledge of understanding the principles and our complex relationship with the environment (Palmer, 1998; Schools Council, Project Environment, 1974).

The next term, “Deconstructivism,” pertains to the environment for education, encourages critical questioning and concerns a learning method with values, attitudes, and positive actions reflecting ethical knowledge on the policies and social justice (Palmer, 1998). This method guides the learners in generating critical theories and ideas, but it cannot be actively present in the process of environmental improvement (Fang et al., 2022). The term “Constructivism” is a learning theory that posits people built their knowledge and comprehension of the world through experiencing the environment and reflecting on those experiences. It is a philosophical idea derived from the psychological term cognitivism and adopts a philosophical stand of “non-objectivism” (Harasim, 2017). This approach emphasizes education in or from the environment and encourages the learners to perform hands-on training, self-discovery, experimental activities, and real-world application. Finally, the “Integrationism” approach blends these methodologies, combining structured knowledge with experiential learning to foster a well-rounded understanding and active engagement in sustainability practices.

Living organisms are more biologically stable with guided and stable climate systems, but they tend to be more sensitive to sudden climate changes or atmospheric differences. That term is called Meteorosensitivity, susceptibility to changes in weather and atmospheric conditions (i.e., temperature, humidity, brightness, rate of airflow, thunderstorms, etc.) (Cianconi et al., 2023). The Psychopathological phenomenon that an individual can experience due to these weather changes is called “Meteoropathy,” which is derived from the Greek words “Meteora” (Things high in the air or celestial phenomena) and “Pathos,” meaning illness, suffering, or pain (Mazza et al., 2011). The symptoms of this can be psychophysical (i.e., irritability, mental and physical weakness, hypertension, headache, hyperalgesia, etc.) (Cianconi et al., 2023). The climate emotions, or ecological emotions, are defined as affective phenomena that are significantly experienced by chronic climate deviations. There may be various kinds of factors that influence people’s emotions in an ecological context, such as the general situation in one’s life, one’s temperament, daily events, social dynamics, and climate change impacts (Pihkala, 2022; Kurth and Pihkala, 2022). “Climate emotions” or “Eco-emotions” were recently coined by researchers to address the emotional experience of ecological changes or chronic climatic degradations (Cianconi et al., 2023). The emotions referred to are not just any emotions but rather mental states (i.e., relatively consent behavior, conditions, and thoughts) and mental health syndromes (i.e., characterized by a series of symptoms) (Cianconi et al., 2023; Pihkala, 2022).

Glenn Albrecht, an Australian professor and environmentalist, introduced the term “Solastalgia” in 2003, which talks about the human distress over a particular locality or home environment, closely related to the term place attachment of an individual. The development of Solastalgia leads to the emergence of the term that denotes the human-earth-related mental syndrome, “Psychoterratic syndrome.” “Psychoterratic illness is defined as earth-related mental illness where people’s mental wellbeing (psyche) is threatened by the severing of “healthy” links between themselves and their home/territory (Albrecht et al., 2007). The term “Psychoterratic Syndrome” turned out to be an umbrella term for earth-related syndromes like eco-anxiety, eco-grief, eco-distress, eco-guilt, eco-shame, eco-paralysis, eco-phobia, eco-anger, environmental trauma, environmental PTSD, etc., (Cianconi et al., 2023; Pihkala, 2022). The Figure 2 illustrates the direct and indirect impacts of climate change that affect the psychological well-being of humans.

Cognitive reappraisal is an emotional regulation strategy that got much attention during the 2000s, primarily driven by the influential works of Gross (1998), Gross and Thompson (2007). It is an antecedent-focused emotion control method where an individual reinterprets a situation to change its emotional impact, rather than suppressing or avoiding the emotion itself (Gross, 1998). Cognitive reappraisal is an antecedent-focused emotion control method that begins before the emotional responses are apparent. It refers to cognitive changes produced in response to a circumstance (Wang and Yin, 2023). In the research conducted by Panno et al. (2015, 2017) to study the environment and behavior, researchers highlight that the emotional regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal) promise novel insights into the development of environment-friendly behavior and motivate individuals to reduce their ecological footprints. The rise of eco-emotion studies and psychoterratic syndromes led to the discovery of varied symptoms caused by climate change threats and concurrent environmental degradation. For example, higher eco-anxiety symptoms are associated with different health issues such as insomnia, anxiety, stress, chronic mental distress, uncontrollability, helplessness, hopelessness, etc., (Cianconi et al., 2023; Boluda-Verdú et al., 2022). This spectrum of negative psychoterratic emotions, including eco-grief and eco-paralysis, functionally impairs the cognitive processes necessary for calm reflection and problem-solving, manifesting as difficulties in remaining calm, concentrating, and feeling control over one’s life (Stewart, 2021). In the work “Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World,” Glenn Albrecht categorized Earth-related human emotions into Negative and Positive Earth Emotions. Negative earth emotions vary from slight to individuals at the extreme edge of emotional and psychological responses to human desolation and separation from nature. These emotions are expressed by people who have not given up on their attachment to nature and life (Albrecht, 2019). Scholarly interest in the affective dimensions of pro-environmental behavior has grown substantially, with a burgeoning body of literature examining the interplay between emotions, cognitive processes, and sustainability-related actions. Recent studies highlight how negative environmental emotions (i.e., eco-anxiety, guilt, and eco-paralysis) promote positive environmental actions (i.e., human-nature connectedness, eco-hope, and collective action), which shape environmental engagement, underscoring the need for nuanced theoretical and empirical approaches in this rapidly advancing domain (Stanley et al., 2021; Fritsche et al., 2017; Kovács et al., 2024). The empirical study was conducted in the context of behavioral and climate actions and found that the participants’ frequent use of cognitive reappraisal predicted stronger environmental motivation and greater participation in sustainability efforts (Panno et al., 2015). Positive Earth emotions like Biophilia, Ecophilia, Topophilia, and Soliphilia nurture pro-environmental actions by reinforcing an individual’s sense of human-nature connectedness (Schultz, 2002). This innate psychological bond with nature is repeatedly shown to be a key predictor of pro-environmental behavior across various contexts (Teixeira et al., 2022). Glenn Albrecht stated that the positive psychoterratic conditions are achieved through the reintegration of humans with both the physical and the built symbioment (Albrecht, 2019). The symbioment refers to an environment characterized by the mutual flourishing of all life forms (Albrecht, 2019). The corresponding ideological shift is the sumbiocentric perspective, which moves beyond human-centered (Anthropocentric) concepts by prioritizing the vital role of symbiosis in all human affairs (Albrecht, 2019). Positive Psychoterratic states are not merely affective responses but form the psychological infrastructure for pro-environmental behavior, resilience, and sustainable creativity. The development of affective ecology is made possible by this emotional reintegration, which promotes a change in environmental awareness from domination to symbiosis. Under such a paradigm, Ecophilia, biophilia, and topophilia provide the emotional framework for the Symbiocene, a framework that can be fostered through the use of cognitive reappraisal methods and Environmental Education (Figure 3).

The narrative-based approach in Environment Education offers a hands-on experience to the learners, integrating affective, cognitive, and moral dimensions by leveraging storytelling as a transformative pedagogical tool. In the study conducted on children aged 6–8 years old, the researchers found that the narrative-based education significantly improves their environmental attitudes and awareness. However, the study also found that the achievement of pro-environmental behavior among the children is insignificant. The researchers conducted short video clippings about wildlife and humans as a narrative method, in an interval of 1 day and 7-days intervals. The time interval for nurturing pro-environmental behavior in a short period turned out to be difficult. To make children socialize with environmental actions and the formation of pro-environmental behavior requires continuous learning and time (Yang et al., 2022). One of the recommended methods to cope with negative earth emotions, for collective learning and strategic communication, is storytelling for social and behavior change (Wang et al., 2023). The narrative method has been enhanced as a purposeful attempt to influence our feelings, thinking, and collective action for sustainability (Joosse et al., 2023). The fact-based narratives have minimal effect on motivating individuals to be eco-conscious, but also embodied cognition for environmental action. The primary goal of climate communication is to persuade lay audiences as to the (a) severity of the problem and (b) need for action. In the study that deals with Stories Versus Facts, which triggers emotion and action, the researchers argued that, unlike stories, analytical narratives did not reflect upon the emotional arousal eliciting pro-environmental behavior (Morris et al., 2019). Narrative-enhanced environmental education works on multiple methods for pro-environmental behavior development that are Eco-identities, empathy and emotional engagement, and human-nature attachment. Mitchell Thomashow introduced the term Eco-identity in his notable work “Ecological Identity: Becoming a Reflective Environmentalist” (1985). It is a way to understand how individuals perceive themselves in the natural environment. Also refers to the ways people construct their sense of self based on their experiences with nature, environmental values, and ethical considerations regarding ecological systems (Thomashow, 1995). Thomashow aims “to show how an ecological worldview can be used to interpret personal experience, and how that interpretation leads to new ways of understanding personal identity” (Pomeroy, 1995). The ability to manage Eco-emotions through cognitive reappraisal can aid in the development of shaping an individual’s ecological identity and nurturing pro-environmental behaviors. These behaviors enhance one’s environmental awareness, fostering a stronger connection to nature, which is achieved through narrative-enhanced environmental education. This enhanced method of environmental education cultivates empathy and emotional engagement effectively, leading to a deeper understanding and appreciation of nature (Yang et al., 2022). Educational method that intervenes based on empathy and emotions could have a long-lasting effect on the learners because of the ability to change an individual’s or children’s internal thinking and intrinsic motivation for environmental protection (Darner, 2010). In the study, set in a preschool context, the researchers discovered that reading picture books that foster empathy with nature is a more efficient approach to environmental activism (Li et al., 2024). Instead of factual teaching methods, stories that present environmental issues as a plot enable young learners to easily align themselves with their cognitive development (Altun, 2018). The educational method that focuses on developing empathy and emotional engagement toward nature results in the possible development of climate action. Human-nature attachments refer to humans’ innate tendency, which forms an emotional bond toward nature. Biophilia asserts that humans have a built-in innate affinity for nature and other forms of life (Kellert and Wilson, 1995). This attachment also helps to build the foundation for pro-environmental actions and one’s ecological identity for long-term environmental stewardship. As Glenn Albrecht envisions, the symbiocene is an era of positive affirmations of life that offers the possibility of the complete reintegration of the human body, psyche, and culture with the rest of life (Albrecht, 2019). The term symbiocene puts flesh on the idea of human-nature interconnectedness. Narrative-focused education can be a pedagogical pathway to achieve human-nature attachment for an individual or collective pro-environmental behavior. Figure 4 below presents a model showing how Narrative-enhanced environmental education fosters Pro-Environmental Behavior through empathy and emotional engagement. This engagement fosters three key factors: Eco-Identity (integrating environmental values into one’s self), Human-Nature Attachment (emotional bond with nature), and Empathy itself as a central emotional driver. Together, these elements motivate individuals to adopt environmentally responsible actions. The model highlights the role of storytelling in shaping identity, emotional connection, and sustainable behavior.