From Kitab Kuning to KPI: Auditing the Datafication of Eco-Piety in Indonesia's Ekopesantren Movement and Its Uneven Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals

Ardianta Sabtu, Oktober 03, 2026
Illustration by AI
FORMOSA NEWS

UIN Saizu Researchers Reveal Digitalization Challenges in Indonesia’s Ekopesantren Environmental Ethics Movement

A new scientific study reveals how Islamic environmental ethics rooted in the Quran and classical yellow books (kitab kuning) are transformed into measurable web-based key performance indicators within Indonesia’s Ekopesantren movement. The research was conducted by Kholid Mawardi, Supriyanto, and Zein Muchamad Masykur from Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto and published in the Indonesian Journal of Contemporary Multidisciplinary Research (MODERN) in September 2026. These findings provide a critical evaluation of the operational effectiveness and national representation of faith-based environmental conservation movements, which are now recognized globally by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through the Al-Mizan Covenant for the Earth.

Background and Context of the Ekopesantren Movement

Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) represent one of the oldest educational institution networks in Indonesia, comprising more than 42,000 registered schools during the 2024/2025 period. Since 2021, a national consortium led by the Center for Islamic Studies (PPI) at Universitas Nasional (UNAS) has spearheaded the Ekopesantren movement. This initiative promotes pesantren as hubs for faith-based environmental conservation, culminating in an award ceremony for 13 winning pesantren out of 50 participating institutions representing roughly 76,000 students (santri) across Java and Sumatra in mid-2024. Although the movement gained international acclaim, a critical evaluation of its operational audit mechanisms and national scale had not been previously conducted.

Research Methodology

The researchers from UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto applied qualitative document analysis and netnography to examine 11 primary documents published between 2011 and 2026. Publicly accessible data, including institutional documents, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) religious decrees (fatwas), news releases, and website content, were analyzed using directed content analysis. The collected data were triangulated against national pesantren statistics from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and analyzed through the lenses of audit culture and datafication theories to map Ekopesantren program categories to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Findings

The analysis yielded several key insights into the operationalization and scope of the Ekopesantren movement:

  • Translating Ethics into Measurable KPIs: Core Islamic moral principles such as khalīfah (stewardship), mīzān (balance), and amānah (trust) were successfully converted into 10 measurable web-based program categories. These categories encompass environmentally friendly curricula, eco-jurisprudence (fiqh al-bī'ah), water conservation, waste management, energy efficiency, green transportation, and biodiversity conservation.
  • Partial Alignment with SDGs: The digital quantification of environmental ethics aligns directly with several SDG targets, most notably SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
  • Omission of Social and Gender Equity: The 10 Ekopesantren categories currently lack metrics related to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). This leaves untapped potential regarding the leadership of female students (santriwati) and pesantren-owned economic micro-enterprises.
  • Scale and Coverage Discrepancy: The 50 participating pesantren represent only 0.12% of the 42,433 registered pesantren in Indonesia, with heavy concentration in Java and Sumatra. Additionally, several awards were granted to institutions that had already developed independent eco-friendly practices decades prior to the program's inception.

Implications and Real-World Impact

The study offers practical recommendations for Ekopesantren managers, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and international donor organizations. To ensure sustainable and inclusive long-term impact, program administrators are advised to publish monitoring data transparently, expand outreach beyond Java and Sumatra, and incorporate metrics for gender equality and local community economic empowerment. Developing domestic funding mechanisms is also critical to reducing reliance on international philanthropic donors.

Emphasizing the importance of critically evaluating faith-based environmental auditing, the research team from UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto highlighted the broader significance of their analysis. Kholid Mawardi, Supriyanto, and Zein Muchamad Masykur stated, "The Ekopesantren movement successfully transforms abstract Islamic ethics into internationally recognized performance metrics; however, its coverage of just 0.12% of national pesantren and the absence of gender and social equity metrics demonstrate that further refinements are required for faith-based ecological audits to achieve inclusive and systemic impact".

Author Profiles:

  1. Dr. Kholid Mawardi, S.Ag., M.Hum. – Lecturer and researcher at UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto, Indonesia, specializing in Islamic sociology, culture, and pesantren studies.
  2. Dr. Supriyanto, M.Pd. – Lecturer and researcher at UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto, Indonesia, focusing on Islamic education management and educational policy.
  3. Zein Muchamad Masykur, M.Si. – Researcher at UIN Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Purwokerto, Indonesia, specializing in Islamic studies, institutional governance, and socio-religious issues.

Source Details:

Ardianta

Diposting oleh Ardianta

Posting Komentar

0 Komentar