Contributions to the SDGs through Social and Eco entrepreneurship: new mindsets for sustainable solutions

New mindsets and innovative thinking (ABIS, 2017; Moon, 2013, 2014, 2016) are needed to deliver on everything from good health and well-being to affordable and clean energy. This paper reviews the latest trends to tackling pressing social and environmental problems by examining a sample of 100 projects across the globe (Sustainia, 2016). The projects are mapped against the UN SDGs and evaluated on their ‘innovation’ and scalability. 25 projects related to ‘circular economy’ solutions are selected for more in-depth analysis. The projects cover a range of applications including Buildings, Food, Energy, Transportation, Resources and Education. The key research question is: what strategic policy support is needed for enterprise & entrepreneurship education to develop the necessary multi collaborative and cross disciplinary mind-sets and skills that such projects require? Reference is made to global risks and sustainability solutions, skills needed for the green economy, and implications for enterprise development and entrepreneurship education. Findings reveal the need for new measures of eco and social mindset that will support the development of the creative and innovative solutions necessary for tackling the UN SDGs.

The manuscript is the author's first submitted version of a chapter; the submitted version is made available in accordance with the publisher's repository Author policies.
The chapter is published by Emerald Publishing Limited in final form as: Moon, C.J. (2018), "Contributions to the SDGs through Social and Eco entrepreneurship: New Mindsets for Sustainable Solutions", Entrepreneurship and the Sustainable Development Goals (Contemporary Issues in Entrepreneurship Research, Vol. 8), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 47-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-724620180000008008.