Social Business and Environmental Engagement for a New Economy

Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus defined social business “as a business which is created solely for the purpose of solving a social or environmental problem, and it is a business from which owners do not take any dividend except to recoup their own investment”. By definition, environmental sensitivity and consciousnesses are essential components of the concept of social business. However, realising this function by social businesses also requires the redefinition of the legal and institutional system to allow this particular form of economic aggregation to perform its function fully. The chapter investigates these aspects regarding the Italian legal context.