The SEED Initiative - a champion of social and environmental entrepreneurs in developing countries

SEED's Executive Director, Helen Marquard, recently shared SEED's knowledge on sustainable entrepreneurship in the Digital Development Debates, and talked about the important role local social and environmental entrepreneurs can play in countering the worldwide negative trends in resource management and climate change, and at the same time in alleviating poverty and unemployment - challenges of the Millennium Development Goals.

Although relatively few in number and generally still small scale, such enterprises can demonstrate both to large corporations and to small, micro- and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) - the engines of the global economy - that it is possible, and motivating, to run a successful business with social and environmental benefits (the 'triple bottom line'). National governments, corporations and banks, and various regional and multilateral institutions are developing mechanisms to propel the Green Economy forward. These need also to target those businesses that are designed to provide social and environmental benefits as well as economic returns. But before policymakers can put in place appropriate incentives, financial assistance, technology, and capacity building, they require evidence about the barriers faced by social and environmental entrepreneurs.

Read the full article here.

Digital Development Debates is published by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Each issue focuses on a prevailing topic from the development policy sector and the authors - all experts from their respective fields - explore different facets of this central topic in their contributions. The second issue is all about "doing business" and focuses on issues such as corporate social responsibility, microfinance, fair trade and entrepreneurship in emerging and developing countries. Visit the Digital Development Debates for more information.