Beyond knowledge: cognitive, normative and spiritual foundations of a sustainability mindset in the Kathmandu Valley

This study examines what shapes a sustainability mindset by testing five hypotheses integrating behavioral, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, and social theories. The study used a mixed-methods design, combining surveys of 350 respondents with interviews with seven people in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal’s largest and fastest-growing city. Quantitative analysis used correlation and structural equation modeling, with a linear-contrast test comparing normative-spiritual and cognitive predictors, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s six phases. Environmental social norms (β = 0.603; p < 0.05) and spiritual intelligence (β = 0.562; p < 0.05) show the largest standardized direct associations with the sustainability mindset, while ecological awareness (β = 0.157; p < 0.05) and systems perspective (β = 0.156; p < 0.05) show smaller direct associations in the study. Taken together, the normative-spiritual predictors are more strongly associated with the mindset than the cognitive predictors (Δχ² = 0.564, 95% CI [0.381, 0.747], p < 0.05). Thematic analysis identifies five themes: nature as living kin, systemic interconnection, transforming eco-anxiety into resolve, deep spiritual shifts, and "bridge people" who transmit regenerative practices among communities. Sustainability mindsets exceed knowledge, requiring social and spiritual capacities developed through training, policy revisions, and public service design.