Innovative green practices to address current challenges

Abstract

This paper presents research conducted by the Erasmus+ project InnoGreen (Innovative entrepreneurs leading green businesses) related to business model innovation, green practices and sustainability. Sixty interviews were conducted with entrepreneurs in eight European countries. This led to the identification of 159 triggers or characteristics of innovative green practices. The aim of the paper, which emerged from the data collected, is to describe innovative green practices and to demonstrate how these may be used to motivate others to increase their sustainability. A critique of business model canvases is followed by the rationale for developing a green business innovation canvas. Some examples of the innovative green practices that emerged from the research, including the Green Business Innovation Canvas and a list of ‘triggers’, are presented, together with a discussion on key success factors for the implementation of innovative green practices. Implications that emerge from this research are then outlined.