The Socio‐Cultural and Spiritual Dimensions on Non‐Marketed Environmental Valuation

ABSTRACT The present review aims to strengthen both the theoretical foundation and real‐world relevance of environmental valuation methods, especially in regions marked by cultural diversity or spiritual significance. Its goal is to explore how embracing socio‐cultural pluralism can support more inclusive, meaningful, and accepted environmental decisions, encouraging deeper public engagement, emotional connection, and long‐term care for nature. The novelty lies in an integrative review by synthesizing these qualitative dimensions into environmental valuation by monitoring 103 studies from Scopus and Web of Science databases in the period 2010–2025. The paper follows a structured path; it surveys key literature, outlines the chosen methodology, and presents context‐specific findings with the comparison of two distinct frameworks: (i) the conventional economic approach and (ii) the emerging socio‐cultural framework to reflect on implications for both policy and academic discourse. It offers three main contributions: (i) it highlights the importance of integrating psychological and socio‐cultural elements into a sustainable development framework; (ii) it advocates spiritual capital as a valuable asset through which ecosystems can be understood and supported based on services to ecosystems; and (iii) it demonstrates how values, norms, and perceptions can shape pro‐environmental behaviors and policy pathways for sustainable development.