Eco-labels impact consumers‟ likelihood to buy eco-labelled products and serve as a tool during the decision-making process that helps consumers make informed purchase choices. The textile industry is responsible for a large amount of pollution, but has started to follow a more holistic, eco-friendly approach. Information about their eco-friendliness is communicated to consumers via eco-labels. Consumers can influence the textile industry to include more eco-labelled textile products in their desired range of products, by buying and demanding eco-labelled textile products. However, international studies indicate that consumers do not understand textile eco-labels and the information that is found on these labels. A lack of understanding prevents consumers from including such products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Yet some consumers, from developed and developing countries, are willing to buy eco-labelled products and pay more for such products. Limited research in this regard, within a South African context, is available hence, more research was required in this study field. Therefore, this study aimed to explore consumers‟ understanding and utilisation of textile eco-labels during pre-purchase decision-making. The research for the study was done using a convenience and purposive sampling method with a quantitative structured online questionnaire for data collection purposes. Findings suggest that respondents were environmentally conscious, but only to some extent. Most respondents objectively understood textile eco-labelled products, but not textile eco-labels or organic label information regarding cotton production processes. Respondents indicated that they do not use textile eco-labels when making a pre-purchase decision, yet they somewhat recognised the need to buy eco-friendly textile products, because they are aware of environmental implications. Regarding the information on eco-labels, respondents searched for information surrounding the quality of eco-labelled textile products, followed by the care instructions and the credibility of the eco-label on the product. Finally, there was a segment of respondents who buy and utilise textile eco-labelled products, and are willing to pay a higher price for these products. The higher price was the main factor that prevented other respondents from buying eco-labelled textile products. Consumers can benefit from education regarding environmental issues and how their purchasing choices can make a difference in protecting the environment. Furthermore, educating consumers about eco-labelled textile products might increase their awareness and utilisation of these products. In turn, this awareness about eco-labels might encourage consumers to include these kinds of products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Additionally the industry can strive towards keeping eco-labelled products‟ prices relatively equal to regular product‟s prices to make it easier for consumers to choose between the different products, based on their environmental attributes and not price. Finally, the textile industry and manufacturers can focus on making textile eco-labels more attractive and attention-grabbing in order to focus consumers‟ attention on these labels. Furthermore, on these labels, symbols and words should be used together and all elements should correspond to enhance consumers‟ understanding. If all of these elements of an eco-label convey the same message, consumers might be able to understand the intended message by manufacturers and the industry better. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explain whether the conceptualized model of consumer confusion regarding the multiple number of brands and products also applies to the increasing number of eco-labels. The study also examined how the attitudes were affected if confusion occurred amongst the consumers. More specifically, whether consumer confusion leads to negative attitudes. Theoretical Framework: The conceptualized model of consumer confusion, including the three dimensions of ambiguity, information overload and similarity was used in this research.In addition, theories regarding attitudes and indicators that affect consumer’s attitudes werepresented and used for the analysis. Methodological Framework: This research took an explanatory and deductive approach. The research was carried out with a quantitative method including three hypotheses derived from the literature. Data was collected through a questionnaire that was spread online on social media. The gathered data was coded accordingly in order to get the results from the frequencies, descriptive statistics, correlation and the regression analysis. Empirical Results: It was discovered that the respondents were confused by eco-labels and eco-labelled products regarding all the three dimensions of the conceptualized model of consumer confusion. However, the fact that the attitudes towards eco-labels and eco-labelled products were very positive, led to a rejection of all the three hypotheses. Consequently, supportive questions from the questionnaire and the demographic details of the sample served as additional support to further discuss the results of the study. Conclusions: This study showed that the conceptualized model of consumer confusion also applies to eco-labels. However, the consumers still had positive attitudes towards eco-labels and eco-labelled products which could be seen as contradictory. Nevertheless, positive beliefs about eco-labels and its effects and demographic details were found to have an impact on the positive attitudes.

Environmental labels and declarations as market oriented approach of environmental protection can lead to sustainable production and consumption through credible and verifiable labeling schemes. Ecolabel provides consumers information about environmental impacts of the product that they can include in their purchase decisions. The goal of this paper is to determine how companies evaluate effects resulting from use of one of the types of environmental labeling in the Czech Republic. Environmental labeling encompasses three types - ecolabeling (Type I), self-declared environmental claims (Type II) and Environmental product declaration (Type III). Main objective is the evaluation of environmental labels as a communication tool between company and consumer.

To reduce environmental impact from the real estate sector, improving energy performance and promoting the use of eco-labels are among essential elements. Understanding the relationship between the green initiatives, and their impact on property prices provides valuable insights into consumer preferences and market dynamics, from the perspective of asymmetric information. By applying a hedonic price regression on real estate prices in Malmö, the economic premium associated with energy efficiency and eco-labels are estimated over a five-year period to capture the development regarding green initiatives.  The aim of the thesis was twofold, to measure the economic premium of energy efficiency and eco-labels on residential housing in Malmö. The economic premium were found to be premium for energy efficient apartments, whereas the amount was found to decrease in relative terms between the examined years. The eco-label effect on apartments was found to be negative in 2015 and statistically insignificant in 2020. Single family houses showed no significant effect in the measured attributes.  The analysis of the data revealed that labelled housing is found to be clustered within highly populated areas, and not exclusively associated with higher income areas in the context of Malmö.

<p>This study investigates the price premium for labeling of carbon-relevant practices and other potentially relevant labels on meat product, including organic, grass-feeding/-fed, gluten-free, and whether it is non-GMO, etc. Prices and labeling information about beef, pork, chicken, and other meat products in selected stores from 48 states were collected via web-scraping and investigated for product claims and labels directly or indirectly related to carbon. Market-observed price premiums for reduced carbon labels or using sustainable practices were investigated alongside impacts of geography on product prices. </p> <p>Our results showed significant price premiums for almost all of the claims investigated. For beef and chicken products the variable/label with the highest price premium associated was <em>Less greenhouse gas </em>and for the pork products, the variable/label <em>Non-GMO</em> was associated with the highest price premium of those studied.</p>

As environmental quality strongly depends on human behaviour patterns, more attentions have been paid to understand and promote pro-environmental behaviour in the tourism sector with sustainable development. This thesis focuses on online Eco-label accommodation booking as a tourist pro-environmental behavior to study the effects of environmental self-identity and personal norms on prospective tourists’ pro-environmental behaviour. Based on a literature review on the contribution and potential of environmental social psychology for understanding and promoting pro-environmental behaviour, a conceptual framework was proposed, comprising: environmental self-identity, general personal norm and specific personal norm, and online Eco-label accommodation booking, which proposed 7 hypotheses. These hypotheses were tested by a quantitative online questionnaire to collect data and data analysis using a correlationand regression design. The results indicated that all the environmental self-identity and personal norms were positively related to online Eco-label accommodation booking. The findings demonstrated how environmental self-identity affected the intention of online Eco-label accommodation booking via a moral route and the likelihood of achieving this assumed model, which suggested that strengthening environmental self-identity could be an effective way to promotepro-environmental actions. The importance and potential ofenvironmental social psychology for understanding and promotingpro-environmental behaviour in the tourism sector have been discussed.

<p>The<em> Purpose </em>of this study was to examine what knowledge and which attitudes there are about environmental friendly food in the society. To do so an essay were constructed and distributed to five different working places. Altogether there were 50 essays distributed and 43 were returned. <em>The main result; </em>the respondents think that it is important for people to learn how to consume food in a more environmentally friendly way. The majority of the respondents recognized the eco-label KRAV but the European eco-label and Demeter were not recognized in a less extent. Few of the respondents knew what GMO stands for. Over half of the respondents thought that it is pretty important/important or very important to buy ecological food but only one third of them said that they commonly/always buy ecologic food. Slightly more than one third was shore that they could contribute to an environmental friendly development by consuming ecological food. <em>Conclusion:</em> the respondents know too little about what the eco-labels stands for. Far from everyone is convinced that it actually is environmental friendly to buy environmental friendly food.</p>

The Purpose of this study was to examine what knowledge and which attitudes there are about environmental friendly food in the society. To do so an essay were constructed and distributed to five different working places. Altogether there were 50 essays distributed and 43 were returned. The main result; the respondents think that it is important for people to learn how to consume food in a more environmentally friendly way. The majority of the respondents recognized the eco-label KRAV but the European eco-label and Demeter were not recognized in a less extent. Few of the respondents knew what GMO stands for. Over half of the respondents thought that it is pretty important/important or very important to buy ecological food but only one third of them said that they commonly/always buy ecologic food. Slightly more than one third was shore that they could contribute to an environmental friendly development by consuming ecological food. Conclusion: the respondents know too little about what the eco-labels stands for. Far from everyone is convinced that it actually is environmental friendly to buy environmental friendly food.

Aim: The concept of CSR is getting more attention among various fields but there has been a lack of research in enhancing the awareness of CSR within the field of retailing. In order to fill this gap, the aim of this study is to investigate the significance of CSR and green marketing (ecological labels) in the business of retailing while evaluating the affect of it on consumer behavior.   Method: Case study research method is opted for this study to answer “why” and “how” questions. Furthermore, quantitative data has been collected through in store and online customer interview. The research data is analysed by using Microsoft Office Excel.   Result &amp; Conclusions: The result shows that CSR is well incorporated and practiced by ICA Kvantum, AB. Their business philosophy is focused on customer, product, environment, diversity and community. They provide environmental and organic products by abiding the rules and law of goods production that also protects the environment. Moreover, the quantitative study reveals that Swedish female consumer between the ages of 26-35 are more responsible towards environment. It also shows that most of the consumers are still buying conventional (non-ecological) products and majority of them don’t check eco-labels before purchasing but they are willing to pay more for ecological and organic foods. Thus, CSR and green marketing affects consumer buying behavior through different ways.   Suggestions for future research: The similar research can be performed by adopting qualitative data from company’s experts to record their perspective about CSR and green marketing. Moreover, it would be interesting to investigate multiple retail companies operating in different cities. Furthermore, it could give innovative results, if the study investigates the link of trust and loyalty on consumer behavior, as they are the key components in consumer purchase decision.   Contribution of the study: This study identifies and explains the concept of CSR and the important elements of CSR in grocery retailing. The novel concept of green marketing and ecological products has been studied in relation to consumer behavior. The investigation of CSR and green marketing on consumer behavior is a unique combination which has not investigated extensively within the field of grocery retailing.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of household appliances, lighting and commercial equipment. China first adopted Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) in 1989. By 2013, China has developed and implemented 52 Energy Efficiency Standards (EES) and 28 mandatory energy labels for a wide range of domestic, commercial, and selected industrial equipment. However, despite of the large number of standards issued, big challenges remain with how to ensure the standards keep up with the dynamic evolvement of technologies and appliance market after they enter effect. The current policy analysis methods adopted by the policy makers primarily focuses on standards making process and very limited attentions were paid on impact assessment and ex-post evaluation of standards and labeling systems, hence the effectiveness of active Energy Efficiency Standards has not been assessed timely and comprehensively. One major barrier of this is the lacking of assessment methods and market data. This thesis intends to tackle the above issues by developing a new policy analysis approach that can be used to assess the impact of energy efficiency standards and labeling with market data. This approach adopts a comprehensive analysis method that comprises three components: (1) Analysis of market data; (2) Quantification of energy savings potential; and (3) Benchmarking China’s EE standards to those of peer economies around the world. This integrated approach leads to three independent but complementary studies that provide evidence-based findings and policy recommendations for the improvement of China’s appliance standards.