LA SOSTENIBILITÀ SPIRITUALE NELLO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE: UNA NUOVA CATEGORIA INTERPRETATIVA PER IL DIRITTO CONTEMPORANEO.

The thesis explores the intersections between law, religion, and sustainable development, focusing on the potential legal relevance of the spiritual dimension within processes of ecological and energy transition. Beginning with a reconstruction of the evolution of the principle of sustainable development, from the Brundtland Report to the 2030 Agenda, the study examines the increasing involvement of faith communities in international environmental governance, with particular reference to the UNEP Faith for Earth Initiative and COP30 in Belém. The research advances “spiritual sustainability” as an open and cross-cutting interpretative category, intended to illuminate the influence of ethical, symbolic, and religious motivations on the shaping of legal practices relating to sustainability. It is conceptualised as a possible fourth formant of the sustainability paradigm, alongside its environmental, economic, and social dimensions, capable of operating within both state and religious legal orders. Finally, the thesis focuses on Renewable Energy Communities promoted by ecclesiastical entities and Italian dioceses, treating them as a testing ground for assessing the capacity of spiritual values to be translated into participatory legal models grounded in the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, and intergenerational responsibility.