Combining Social and Environmental Impact: Squaring the Circle?

Social enterprises are increasingly aiming to achieve both environmental and social objectives. However, the literature increasingly highlights the tension between these two missions. In particular, making a product more accessible, even if it is more environmentally friendly, may ultimately lead to increased consumption. More precisely, the adoption of green alternatives, is a necessary but not sufficient condition for environmental benefits. Indeed, the environmental potential of green alternatives further depends on their ability to substitute for an environmentally inferior alternative (Cohen & Winn, 2007). Social enterprises can also find themselves constrained by this challenge.