Earth Charter International

What Earth Charter International does

Earth Charter International is a private non-profit organization founded in 2000 and headquartered at the UN Mandated University for Peace campus in Costa Rica. It operates as the secretariat for the global Earth Charter movement, centered on a foundational 16-principle document organized into four pillars — Respect and Care for the Community of Life, Ecological Integrity, Social and Economic Justice, and Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace — available in 74 languages and endorsed by approximately 50,000 individuals and organizations across 90 countries. The organization holds a UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development and runs an Education Center that delivers online and on-site programmes.

Its product portfolio includes the Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics (LSE) ten-week online course, an Online Certificate on Education for Sustainable Development, Masterclasses, the Earth Charter Young Leaders Programme, the Earth Charter School Seal for institutional certification, the Earth Charter Magazine, the Earth Charter Podcast, and the Mapting mobile application developed in partnership with Soka Gakkai International. The most material institutional customer integration is with Miami Dade College, where the GSELS (Global Sustainability and Earth Literacy Studies) programme has engaged over 60,000 students through more than 3,000 classes since a 2013 pilot.

The organization is funded primarily through donations and supporter contributions; core educational content is provided free of charge, and no explicit course fees or pricing tiers are disclosed. Distribution is digital-first (online platform, downloadable resources in 74 languages, podcast, social media) supplemented by on-site education at the Costa Rica campus. Governance is led by Executive Director Mirian Vilela and Chair of the Board Michael Bracken. No external investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, or AI capabilities were identified in the source data.

Name

Earth Charter International

Legal name

Earth Charter International

Website

https://earthcharter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earth Charter International is a Costa Rica-based non-profit founded in 2000 that operates the secretariat for the global Earth Charter movement, delivering sustainability education, online courses, and a Young Leaders network across 90 countries, funded primarily through donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental, Health & Safety / Sustainability (EHS, Environmental Compliance CE) (EDAAALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online/Distance Education Quality & Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAK), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Sustainability education
• Environmental ethics
• Youth leadership training
• Earth literacy
• Nonprofit educational services

Headquarters

HQ city

San José

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and supporter contributions: As a non-profit organization, Earth Charter International relies on donations from supporters and the public to fund operations, education programmes, and movement-building activities. The website features a 'Support us!' donation option.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Earth Charter International operates an Education Center that delivers online and on-site courses on sustainability, ethics, and leadership, including the Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics (LSE) youth course and the Online Certificate on Education for Sustainable Development. It also runs Masterclasses, the global Young Leaders programme, and the Earth Charter School Seal (ECSS) institutional certification, all centered on the 16-principle Earth Charter framework available in 74 languages.

Product overview

Earth Charter International offers a portfolio of educational products and programs centered on the Earth Charter document—a comprehensive framework of 16 principles for sustainable development available in 74 languages. The core offerings include the Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics (LSE) online course, the Online Certificate on Education for Sustainable Development, and Masterclasses for youth and educators. Supporting these are the Earth Charter Young Leaders Programme (a global youth network), the Earth Charter School Seal (institutional certification), the Earth Charter Magazine (publications), the Earth Charter Podcast (audio content), and the Education Center for Sustainable Development (offering both online and on-site programs). Additionally, the Mapting App—a mobile application created in partnership with Soka Gakkai International—supports climate action documentation. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem that educates, engages, and empowers individuals and institutions to implement Earth Charter principles globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development: Located at the UN Mandated University for Peace campus in Costa Rica, the Center offers online and on-site education programmes that support the implementation of the Earth Charter.
• Mapting App

Products and services

• Leadership, Sustainability and Ethics (LSE) Online Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 students reached through GSELS programming at Miami Dade College since 2013
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University for PeacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Earth Charter International is headquartered at the UN Mandated University for Peace campus in Costa Rica. The Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development operates at this location.
• Soka Gakkai International (SGI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Co-organized the Mapting Photo Competition on Climate Change (SDG 13) with Soka Gakkai International, a global Buddhist organization focused on peace, culture, and education. The competition culminated in exhibits at the UN Youth Climate Summit 2019.
• UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) YouthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Earth Charter Young Leaders (ECYLs) Ann Cathrin Nachtwey and Cameron represent the Earth Charter in the UN SDSN Youth network, enabling international collaboration and youth engagement.
• Folkecenter ChilecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2019Partnership with Folkecenter Chile as part of the Earth Charter Initiative's youth partnerships programme, focusing on youth engagement and sustainability education.
• Greening Youth FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2019Partnership with Greening Youth Foundation (GYF) based in Atlanta, Georgia to amplify youth engagement and environmental education initiatives. GYF specializes in connecting young people to nature and environmental careers.
• UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth ChartercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016A UNESCO Chair programme that develops education programmes and research in the field of education, sustainability, values and ethics. The chair enables academic partnerships and institutional credibility.
• Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization that shares similar interests in Earth Literacy, located in Washburn, Tennessee.
• Genesis FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization that shares similar interests in Earth Literacy, located in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC80_T5U71SkZNuU5ZaxjAgw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/EarthCharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earth-charter-international-secretariat
• Instagraminstagram.com/earthcharterinternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earth Charter International