Gli strumenti del fiqh riletti in chiave di sostenibilità: il caso dell'Indonesia

In Indonesia, the discourse on sustainability manifests as a broader reflection of the
potential to revive and apply institutions from the Islamic legal tradition to achieve
specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as identified by the United Nations.
Notably, beginning with the 2014 fatwa issued by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI)
on wildlife protection and extending to the 2023 fatwa on addressing global climate
change, Indonesian religious authorities have emphasized the necessity of
reinterpreting the concept of ḫilāfa (human viceregency). This concept, which
traditionally grants humans the right to benefit from creation as a usufruct or a
trusteeship, has been reframed in a contemporary context to redefine humanity’s
relationship with the surrounding environment.
In recent years, attention has turned to the potential of the waqf institution,
characterized by the perpetuity of assets, to advance objectives such as poverty
alleviation (SDG 1), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), protection
of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15), and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).
Examples of waqf dedicated to environmental conservation include initiatives aimed
at preserving valuable forest land, safeguarding biodiversity, and combating
deforestation.
Within Indonesia’s legal framework, efforts to develop a religiously informed
response to environmental degradation have centred on various forms of waqf and
Islamic financial instruments, such as green ṣukūk, to address and resolve specific
environmental challenges.