Ecopreneuriship: Entrepreneurial empowerment in the service of sustainable development

Abstract

Recent years mark the era of liberalization and regulation at the ecological level with the emergence of new areas of activity, notably that of sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Ecopreneurship is considered an important source of innovation and wealth, it plays a decisive role as drivers of change in the market economy (Schaper, 2002). And represents a formidable machine for knowledge valorization and technology transfer. “The existence of Ecopreneurs results from changes in behavioral habits and social institutions concerned with environmental protection” (Nguyen & Boberg, 2010, p.2). This research aims to study not only the aspects of ecological empowerment, but also the motivations towards the creation of ecologically responsible businesses, while seeking to know what are the elements that differentiate the sustainable entrepreneur from the ecopreneur, in theory and in practice, and how ecopreneurship can serve sustainable development in one way or another. The methodology chosen is qualitative, exploring the field; The results show that both approaches (ecopreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship) are two business approaches focused on environmental responsibility, but they have important nuances in terms of aspects and motivations. Green entrepreneurship primarily focuses on reducing environmental impact through specific products and services, while sustainable entrepreneurship encompasses a broader spectrum by including economic and social considerations.

Keyworlds : ecopreneurship-sustainable - entrepreneurship- entrepreneurial empowrment- sustainable development.

JEL classification : Q57

Paper type : Empirical research