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Are cities venturing green? A global analysis of the impact of green entrepreneurship on city air pollution

Author

Listed:
  • Theodor F. Cojoianu

    (The University of Edinburgh Business School
    DG FISMA
    HM Treasury)

  • Andreas G. F. Hoepner

    (DG FISMA
    University College Dublin
    Oxford University
    Universität Hamburg)

  • Xi Hu

    (Oxford University
    Harvard Law School)

  • Moustafa Ramadan

    (University of Reading, Henley Business School Whiteknights)

  • Paolo Veneri

    (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)

  • Dariusz Wójcik

    (Oxford University)

Abstract

Situated at the intersection between environmental entrepreneurship and urban sustainability, our paper seeks to investigate the links between city-level green venture ecosystems and the ability of urban centres to reduce air pollution. Using a large dataset of 12,834 urban centres from around the world and their associated yearly average particulate matter (PM2.5), we show that an increase in the cumulative number of green start-ups drives the lowering of PM2.5 levels. Looking closely at the subsectors that drive the results, we observe that the urban centres which hosted increased numbers of innovators in smart grid technologies, energy efficiency and wind energy generation (the low carbon energy sector overall) also experienced a decrease in air pollution over the 2010–2019 period. Thus, our study is a global analysis of the environmental impact of green entrepreneurship on local air pollution.

Suggested Citation

  • Theodor F. Cojoianu & Andreas G. F. Hoepner & Xi Hu & Moustafa Ramadan & Paolo Veneri & Dariusz Wójcik, 2024. "Are cities venturing green? A global analysis of the impact of green entrepreneurship on city air pollution," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 523-540, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:62:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11187-023-00764-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00764-4
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban entrepreneurship; Green entrepreneurship; Air pollution; Impact investing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship

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