3.1 Identifying Problems that Need Sustainable Solutions

A successful sustainable entrepreneur must first identify an urgent environmental, social, or economic challenge that needs a new solution. Like other entrepreneurs, they should start with problems, not products, to build something meaningful and impactful.

• Global Sustainability Challenges:
  • Climate change and extreme weather
  • Plastic pollution and ocean waste
  • Food insecurity and an inefficient food supply chain
  • Inequality or lack of educational, or health care opportunities
• Tools for Opportunity Identification:
  • PESTEL Analysis: Evaluate Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors to find gaps.
  • SWOT Analysis: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the sustainability landscape.
  • SDG Mapping: Converge ideas with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure relevance and impact.

Example:

GrubCycle Malaysia: Solved for food waste with an app that provides surplus food to consumers at a discounted price by following the global “Too Good To Go” concept to Malaysia’s environment.