What is one of the first things that springs to mind when speaking about protecting the environment at the kindergarten? Recycling of the trash. This is a good example of the reactive approach – the problem is already there, and we are trying to limit the damage Now, are there ways we could produce less trash at the kindergarten and then at home? This is a real question of Green Entrepreneurship! It seeks to address the problem before it arises.
What is entrepreneurship? In its Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp), the EU Joint Research Centre defines it as: the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas, and transform them into value for others. The value that is created can be financial, cultural or social.
Green entrepreneurship (GE) means being entrepreneurial in a way that:
- Produces solutions to environmental problems
- Fosters social change protecting the environment
But wait! Why are we talking about GE at kindergarten level? Surely it is the realm of politics and business, not of education! In fact, GE is about fostering social change, and what better way to do that, then help foster a different mindset in the coming generation? It has two key dimensions:
- being ‘green’, realising the importance of environmental sustainability
- being entrepreneurial, meaning proactively seeking solutions to environmental problems
