KOTA BARU: Green entrepreneurship methods should be applied among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as it will help improve their revenue.
However, director of Global Entrepreneurship Research Innovation Centre (GERIC), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan's Entrepreneurship and Business Faculty, Prof Madya Dr Noorshella Che Nawi said in fostering green entrepreneurship, business owners must ensure their entire workforce is also actively involved.
She said green entrepreneurship may be foreign to most business owners but many SMEs have already been exposed to the notion in their businesses.
"Green entrepreneurship is a combination of business and environmental concerns. As a result, when a small firm conducts business in a way that preserves the long-term viability of the environment, it engages in green entrepreneurship. It aims to maximise the use of natural resources in the workplace.
"Green entrepreneurship also has a broad scope that encompasses initiatives to reduce anxiety, poverty, environmental concerns, and issues related to nature's sustainability. It does not always imply that a company's product or service is based on environmental sustainability, such as recycling, landscaping, or organic food.
"If a company follows the principle of environmental sustainability in its operations, it can still be labelled as green entrepreneurship.
"Sustainability is not the primary purpose of many SMEs as they do not provide green products or services; rather profit maximisation is their primary goal," she said in a statement.
"If the employee does not have green practice awareness, it is difficult to establish this practice in the workplace.
"Workers, for example, may be unaware of the benefits of conserving electricity and water because they are not responsible for those expenditures," she said.
She said a sustainable business economy should be accompanied by environmental sustainability awareness.
"SME business owners must be aware and understand the influence of their current actions on the future quality of life.
"As responsible Malaysians, SME owners can still contribute through a practice of green entrepreneurship in their business," she added.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/02/769603/fostering-green-entrepreneurship-among-smes-can-help-grow-their-revenue