Impact of Environmental Education on the Formation of Environmentally Committed Citizens

This study analyzes the impact of environmental education on the development of citizens committed to sustainability and the preservation of the natural environment. In the face of the global environmental crisis, environmental education is emerging as a tool for promoting awareness and ethical values. The study, quantitative in nature and with a non-experimental design, was conducted in Ecuador with urban citizens, assessing their views on education and their level of commitment to the environment. The findings show a considerable impact of educational level, gender, and age on environmental perceptions, highlighting an increase in awareness. It also demonstrates that consistent, inclusive, and ongoing environmental education promotes sustainable practices. The research underscores the importance of strengthening policies that ensure the incorporation of an environmental approach at all levels of education, in addition to coordination between formal and informal participants. It suggests an education focused on critical thinking and community participation. Under these circumstances, environmental education emerges as a driver of social transformation, with the capacity to create committed, informed, and participatory citizens. Furthermore, barriers such as a lack of teacher training, limited resources, and poor institutional coordination are recognized as limiting its effectiveness. The study determines that only through comprehensive, sustainable, and ethically guided educational processes can we strengthen an environmental citizenship that actively participates in the fight against the challenges of climate change and ecological degradation, both locally and globally.