Conscious beginning? (3)
I believe the answer is:
eco
'conscious beginning?' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for eco that I've seen before include "Environmental group" , "Umberto --, Italian writer" , "Concerned with the environment" , "Green prefix" , "Umberto -, Italian author (The Name of the Rose)" .)