Social Enterprises As Instruments of Environmental Protection And Education For Sustainable Development: An Environment-Centric Sustainability Roadmap

environmental protection, education for sustainable development, social enterprises, community-based environmental stewardship, sustainable development, environmental governance

Sunan Lata ,
Research Scholar, Department of
Social Work, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj
University, Kanpur, India.
Email: as.sumanlata2024@gmail.com ,
ORCID ID- 0009-0005-3700-9492

Abhishek Pratap ,
Research Scholar,
Department of Social Work, Chhatrapati Shahu
Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India.
Email: sw.abhishekpratap@gmail.com
ORCID ID- 0009-0009-8479-9131

Anita Awasthi3,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Social Work, Chhatrapati Shahu
Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India.
Email: anitaawasthis@gmail.com
ORCID ID-0009-0007-2310-264X

Satyendra Singh Chauhan4,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Social Work, Chhatrapati Shahu
Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India.
Email: s.chauhan123@gmail.com
ORCID ID-0009-0000-4739-5511

Abhishek Kumar Mishra5,
Assistant Professor,
Department of lifelong learning and Extension,
Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University,
Kanpur, India.
Email: abhidu@hotmail.com ,
ORCID ID-0009-0004-5396-6789

Sandeep Kumar Singh6*,
Professor & Dean
Faculty of Advanced Studies of Social Science,
Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University,
Kanpur, India.
Email: drsandeepmsw@gmail.com
ORCID ID-0009-0009-5073-7450

Received:16-06-2026
Revised:24-07-2026
Accepted:05-08-2026

European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry (2026) 34(7s), 944–953

Social Enterprises As Instruments of Environmental Protection And Education For Sustainable Development: An Environment-Centric Sustainability Roadmap

Environmental degradation, resource depletion, and sustainability challenges increasingly threaten ecosystems and vulnerable communities. Social enterprises have emerged as key actors in addressing these issues through environmental protection, sustainability education, and community-based environmental practices. Operating across sectors such as poverty alleviation, livelihoods, healthcare, agriculture, education, and environmental conservation, social enterprises differ from traditional profitdriven businesses by prioritising sustainability, social impact, and the fulfillment of social needs. This paper is based on secondary data and a systematic literature review with a specific emphasis on environmental sustainability outcomes, sustainability education, and community-led environmental protection models. A total of 831 papers on social entrepreneurship were identified, with focused analysis of 398 articles addressing sustainable models for the social and economic growth of women and marginalised communities. Additionally, 98 cited studies highlight key challenges and the growing academic interest in this field. The review identifies avenues for future research, including reinterpretation of theoretical frameworks, sectoral expansion, and analysis of operational strategies and performance factors. The study further proposes a sustainable roadmap for environmentally sustainable development of marginalised communities through conservation-oriented livelihoods and sustainability education, aligning social enterprise interventions with key environmental Sustainable Development Goals.

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