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Purpose This paper explores the dialog between the Confucian paradigm and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), focusing on their cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral domains, with the aim of strengthening the intercultural implementation of SDG 4, particularly Target 4.7. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a critical, contextualized, and comparative theoretical design. It examines Confucian virtues – such as benevolence, righteousness, relational propriety, trust and self-cultivation – alongside pedagogical principles including education without distinction and teaching according to individual capacities. These concepts were selected for their educational relevance to ethical formation, relational learning and inclusive pedagogy, and were systematically compared with UNESCO's ESD domains (cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral) and key sustainability competencies. The analysis further develops a conceptual convergence matrix to translate philosophical principles into curriculum-oriented and observable pedagogical criteria. Findings The study shows that Confucian principles can meaningfully enrich ESD by fostering critical thinking, responsibility, cooperation, systemic awareness and intercultural respect. It further proposes a convergence matrix that translates philosophical notions into observable curricular criteria – such as reflective portfolios, collaborative projects, service-learning and intercultural rubrics – thereby linking ethical formation with concrete pedagogical practice. Research limitations/implications As a theoretical and conceptual study, the findings require empirical validation in diverse educational contexts. Future research should examine the practical integration of Confucian-inspired pedagogical criteria into teacher education and curriculum development, both within and beyond East Asian traditions. Theoretically, the study contributes an intercultural framework for reinterpreting ESD through non-Western ethical-pedagogical traditions while preserving alignment with global sustainability goals. Practical implications The study offers guidance for educators and policymakers seeking to design culturally grounded ESD curricula. By operationalizing Confucian principles, it provides concrete tools for assessment, instructional design and community engagement, enhancing the depth and inclusivity of sustainability education. Social implications Integrating Confucian pedagogy into ESD supports intercultural dialog, strengthens ethical responsibility and fosters relational approaches to sustainability. This contributes to the formation of citizens capable of acting with solidarity, prudence and ecological awareness in multicultural and global contexts. Originality/value This paper contributes to the field of ESD by reinterpreting Confucianism not as a static cultural reference but as a dynamic ethical-educational framework. It demonstrates how classical virtues and pedagogical orientations can be translated into actionable curricular criteria, advancing both the theoretical foundations and practical implementation of SDG 4 from an intercultural perspective.