Linking Entrepreneurship, Environmental Justice, and Sustainable Development: Pathways to Ecological and Social Transformation

Abstract

We are living through an era in which climate change, ecological collapse, and deepening socioeconomic inequality are no longer distant threats but immediate, lived realities, particularly for communities in the Global South. In response, green and social entrepreneurship have been championed as promising vehicles for addressing these interconnected crises. But is entrepreneurship truly capable of delivering environmental justice and sustainable development? This paper grapples with that question. We argue that when deliberately anchored in justice-oriented frameworks, entrepreneurship can indeed serve as a catalyst for ecological and social transformation. Drawing on the Quintuple Helix Innovation Model, Environmental Justice in Technology principles, and case studies from Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, we make the case for ethical design, robust institutional support, and context-sensitive innovation. Yet we also acknowledge significant gaps, especially the underrepresentation of Global South perspectives and the absence of structural justice metrics in mainstream entrepreneurship research. We conclude by calling for more interdisciplinary, equity-focused scholarship and policy innovation that embeds fairness across green entrepreneurship ecosystems.