VR for Sustainability (Report)

Authors: Professor Joost Raessens and Professor Thomas Bjørner

Published 30th January, 2026

Virtual reality has emerged as an engaging medium for environmental education, public engagement and imaginative worldbuilding. This report maps the global landscape of VR experiences and institutions working at the intersection of immersive technology and sustainability. Our researchers provide a historical and conceptual overview of VR and XR and a catalogue of more than 50 sustainability‑focused VR experiences, ranging from ocean conservation to forest literacy to the Overview Effect. They analyse these experiences to provide insights into how VR can support environmental literacy, behaviour change, and systems thinking. However, the tensions of adapting technological innovation for sustainability-oriented action are not ignored. The report offers a critical discussion of barriers to VR for sustainability, including methodological challenges, the issue of access to VR experiences, and the environmental impacts of VR technologies themselves.

This report demonstrates how VR can help learners and audiences understand environmental issues at emotional, experiential, and conceptual levels while offering guidance for socially and ecologically responsible use.