Purpose: Horses play an important role in the agricultural industry around the world. The equestrian sector offers new markets and sustainable business opportunities. This paper, based on a structural equation modelling approach, seeks to explore the interests of Romanian entrepreneurs in developing a sustainable business in the equestrian sector by investing in the use of horse manure. This manure is an important renewable resource in the circular economy, including in the production of bioenergy and bio-fertilizers. The present research investigates whether there is an interest in developing such a business in Romania, built around three pillars: the environment, society and the economy.Design/methodology/approach: PLS-SEM is an appropriate method for this research, where prediction of interest for sustainable entrepreneurship plays a central role. In total, 153 responses have been collected and validated based on a questionnaire and the invitations to complete were sent to people who are already entrepreneurs or have intention to become entrepreneurs in the near future.Findings: The structural model shows that society's interest has the strongest effect on developing a sustainable business model through horse manure. Surprisingly, the study does not reflect an expected correlation between the interest in the environment and the development of a sustainable business model through horse manure resulting in bioenergy.Originality/value: This study contributes to arousing the interest in research and even the development of a business by presenting the sustainability factors in the horse industry and adopting technological innovations, services, products and business models. The study was conducted in Romania, where, currently, the manure produced by horses is underexploited, and the equestrian sector requires new business models, innovations and sustainable development.

Renewable energy is produced from natural sources that can regenerate quickly, such as the sun, wind, water, biomass and the earth’s heat. This implies that the resources used do not have a significant negative impact on the environment, which aligns with current concerns for protecting the planet and ecosystems. This study aims to explore the behavior of entrepreneurs regarding the processing of resources that can be introduced in the circular economy and the development of the renewable energy portfolio by transforming horse manure into bioenergy. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and based on an extensive dataset comprising 104 responses from entrepreneurs engaged in or aspiring to participate in the renewable energy sector, this research reveals a noteworthy finding. Contrary to prevailing expectations, it demonstrates that the perceived interest in safeguarding future resources and the environment among these entrepreneurs is currently low. This study not only enriches the understanding of entrepreneurial behavior within the renewable energy domain but also extends the Theory of Planned Behavior. In doing so, it underscores the critical significance of sustainability factors as drivers of future business development and underscores the need for comprehensive policy initiatives that compel greater commitment to renewable energy and circular economy practices.

Protecting aquatic ecosystems depends not only on regulations and technology but also on the ways in which people understand, learn about, and act on envir