Entrepreneurship: Is it an innocent economic actor, or a factor that could harm ecological sustainability? Evidence from the group of Seven economies

The escalating ecological threats, including climate change, degradation, and ecological footprints, have driven worldwide initiatives to strike a balance between economic growth and ecological sustainability. Despite being the engine of innovation and economic progress, entrepreneurship impacts environmental quality—some see it as harmful due to resource use, whereas others view it as a catalyst for green innovation. In this study, the impact of entrepreneurship on ecological sustainability in the Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the USA) countries is examined within the framework of Porter's Hypothesis, Resource-Based View, and Eco-Innovation Theory. Utilizing data from 2001 to 2022, this paper examines the long-run impact of entrepreneurship, renewable energy usage, globalization, and income on ecological sustainability, measured by load capacity factor, employing CUP-FM and CUP-BC estimators. According to empirical findings, entrepreneurship levels have not yet matured enough to impact environmental sustainability significantly. Ultimately, the LCC hypothesis remains valid, and renewable energy and globalization contribute to ecological integrity. The results suggest these countries should integrate entrepreneurship with green technologies and decarbonization efforts to prevent ecological decline and promote policies for SDGs 7, 8, and 13.