Developing Green Entrepreneurship Skills in Indonesia: A Community Perspective

Abstract

Amid the ascension of climate change and global warming as pervasive issues of worldwide relevance, the urgency for environmental entrepreneurship and sustainable development has been notably emphasized. This focus becomes critical within rapidly maturing economies such as Indonesia, where the potential to significantly influence climate neutrality and business competitiveness is immense, contingent upon the effective cultivation of green entrepreneurial ethos. However, the integration rate of eco-friendly business tenets remains discouragingly static, largely due to acute insufficiencies in consciousness-raising, pedagogical resources, and sector-specific proficiency. The present paper embarks on a critical scrutiny of environmental business opportunities within the Indonesian milieu. A comprehensive discrepancy analysis pertaining to the development of green entrepreneurship proficiencies is detailed, predominantly from a community vantage point. This inquiry constitutes a part of the European-endorsed initiative, the ASEAN Network for Green Entrepreneurship and Leadership (ANGEL), purposed to fortify entrepreneurial competence and sustainable perspective among diverse community stakeholders. Through a methodologically structured survey, engagement with academia, requisite support for communal development, and perceived hindrances to nurturing green entrepreneurship are explored. The findings highlight a substantial interest to the promotion of green entrepreneurship within the community, with resource scarcity emerging as a formidable challenge. Moreover, our discrepancy analysis underscores a pressing need for escalated cooperation among key participants, including local enterprises, governmental agencies, and residential communities, to enable the efficacious actualization of green entrepreneurial ventures. The paper extends its probe to capture the community's perspective on green entrepreneurship, considering the viewpoints of women, minority groups, and financially marginalized segments within urban and rural contexts. Despite a robust commitment towards green entrepreneurship detected in the survey responses, the manifestation of sustainability-centred initiatives remains sparse. The paper concludes by delineating the impediments encountered in the proliferation of green entrepreneurship, underlining the vital need for sustained efforts to overcome these barriers and further propel Indonesia's journey towards sustainability. The research delineated in this paper represents a significant leap towards comprehending and fostering green entrepreneurship in Indonesia, providing crucial insights to stakeholders aiming to act as catalysts for future progression in this domain.