Author FAIDON ZARAS  (I.M. PANAGIOTOPOULOS SCHOOL, GREECE)

Towards an alternative entrepreneurial ecosystem 

Social entrepreneurship can be seen within the context of a comprehensive alternative business environment which is being shaped along with widescale production and development challenges. It comprises social entrepreneurship, alongside socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. 

SRI is the practice of investing money in companies and funds that have positive social impacts and has also grown in popularity in recent years. Socially responsible investors will often eschew investments in companies that produce or sell addictive substances (like alcohol, gambling, and tobacco) and may seek out companies that are engaged in social justice, environmental sustainability, and alternative energy/clean technology efforts.

Socially conscious investors screen potential new investments for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. This set of standards considers how a company performs as a steward of nature, how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates, and how it treats its company’s leadership, compensates its executives, and approaches audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.