Entrepreneurial sustainable practices, green investment and technological innovation as a catalyst for carbon emission reduction and climate resilience

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🔬研究者:Offers a comprehensive empirical framework linking entrepreneurship to carbon reduction, useful for further studies on green innovation and sustainable business models in emerging markets.

🏢実務担当者:Highlights the value of sustainable practices and green investment for firms seeking to reduce carbon footprints and align with global climate goals.

🏛政策担当者:Provides evidence that supporting green entrepreneurship through incentives and reduced barriers can effectively lower emissions, informing climate policy design.

Purpose This study explores the pivotal role of entrepreneurship in driving environmental sustainability by examining the impact of Entrepreneurial Sustainable Practices (ESP), Entrepreneurial Green Investments (EGI) and Entrepreneurial Technological Innovations (ETI) on carbon emission reduction. The findings highlight how entrepreneurial efforts serve as a powerful catalyst for advancing sustainability and combating climate change. Emphasizing the importance of enabling environments, the study calls for robust policy frameworks that support the adoption and scaling of green initiatives by entrepreneurs. By providing actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders and stakeholders, this research positions entrepreneurship as a cornerstone of sustainable development and global environmental resilience. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, it particularly contributes to Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and Goal 13 (Climate Action). Through a clear demonstration of entrepreneurship's capacity to reduce carbon emissions, the study adds to the global momentum toward sustainability and the achievement of the UN's 2030 targets. Design/methodology/approach This study investigates the role of entrepreneurship in mitigating carbon emissions in emerging economies through three key mechanisms: entrepreneurial sustainable practices (ESP), entrepreneurial technological innovation (ETI) and entrepreneurial green investment (EGI). Annual panel data from ten emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia) covering the period 1992–2022 are employed. To address cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity and mixed integration orders, the study applies advanced econometric techniques, including second-generation unit root tests (CADF and CIPS), panel cointegration tests (Westerlund and Pedroni) and long- and short-run estimators such as the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Cross-Sectionally Augmented ARDL (CS-ARDL) models. In addition, Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality tests and deep learning–based visualization using R and RStudio are utilized to capture dynamic relationships and enhance interpretability. Findings The empirical results reveal a robust and statistically significant long-run negative relationship between carbon emissions and entrepreneurial sustainable practices, technological innovation, and green investment. Specifically, increases in ESP, ETI and EGI lead to substantial reductions in CO2 emissions across emerging economies. Cointegration results confirm the existence of a stable long-term equilibrium among the variables, while causality tests indicate feedback relationships between entrepreneurship-related sustainability measures and carbon emissions. The findings demonstrate that entrepreneurial activities targeted at high-emission contexts generate the greatest environmental benefits, highlighting entrepreneurship as a central driver of low-carbon transition and sustainable development goal (SDG) achievement. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on a sample of ten emerging economies, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to developed or least-developed countries. In addition, the analysis relies on macro-level proxies for entrepreneurial innovation and green investment, which may not fully capture firm-level behavioral heterogeneity. Future research could extend this framework by incorporating micro-level data, alternative indicators of green entrepreneurship and institutional or cultural moderators to further explain cross-country differences in sustainability outcomes. Practical implications The findings provide important guidance for policymakers and practitioners in emerging economies. Governments should strengthen policy frameworks that support green entrepreneurship through financial incentives, reduced regulatory barriers and enhanced access to green finance. Investment in research and development, green technology incubation and sustainable entrepreneurship education can accelerate innovation and emission reduction. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to prioritize sustainable business models and target carbon-intensive sectors where environmental gains are greatest. These measures can simultaneously promote economic growth, technological advancement and environmental sustainability. Originality/value This study offers one of the first comprehensive empirical examinations of how entrepreneurial sustainable practices, green investment and technological innovation jointly influence carbon emissions in emerging economies. By integrating advanced panel econometric techniques with deep learning–based visualization, the research provides a multidimensional perspective on the entrepreneurship–environment nexus. The findings extend existing sustainability and entrepreneurship literature by positioning entrepreneurship as a key mechanism for achieving the SDGs and advancing low-carbon development pathways in emerging markets.

• openaire https://doi.org/10.1108/meq-05-2025-0381first seen 2026-05-14 21:53:47