Daphne Halkias and Paul W. Thurman: Entrepreneurship and sustainability: business solutions for poverty alleviation from around the world

Abstract

‘‘The Future We Want,’’ the main document summarizing the action areas recommended by the Rio?20 Conference (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 20–22nd, 2012), advocates ‘‘green economy’’ as a main instrument for eradicating poverty, while maintaining the healthy functioning of the environment. Part of green economy is economic stewardship. Companies not only have an economic (profit) and social (employment, product quality) responsibility, but should also deal with their impact on the environment. Entrepreneurs have a core role in the transition to carbon-free/carbon-poor energies and in the repositioning of their enterprises to the evolving needs of society. Sustainability-driven entrepreneurs design ventures with the primary intention of contributing to economic profit on par with improved environmental quality and social well-being, in ways that are mutually supportive. In other words: Managers should act as the instigators of a social change toward sustainable development. While in the original Brundtland report (WCED, 1987) and in the follow-up UNCED Conference (UN, 1992), an important accent was on environmental sustainability, since the Millennium Declaration (UN, 2000) and the WSSD in Johannesburg (UN, 2002) the focus moved to sustainable development as a way of alleviating poverty. Around the world, 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty. Sustainable companies, driven by the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), should contribute to poverty alleviation. In the context of this book, this life-changing moment for millions should emerge from the combination of three forces of change: enterprise, technology, and people.