Abstract Background: During the last decades, environmental concerns have increased significantly, and companies have been forced to adapt their business to meet the demands of today’s consumers. Green marketing has become an effecting differentiating factor as well as a positive contributor for companies. Ecolabels operates as a tool to promote and inform consumers about the level of sustainability of the product, where the symbol will guarantee a certain criteria, feature, or quality. Ecolabel products enable consumers to make environmentally conscious decisions through their buying behaviour, thereby contributing to a more sustainable world. Purpose: The purpose of this report is to investigate how ecolabels influence change in buying behaviour and sustainability awareness. Furthermore, to provide information regarding the consumers' view on these products and how their attitude, behaviour and awareness is affected. Method: This reports data collection is conducted through three focus groups interviews with consumers as well as two personal interviews with store managers from one of Sweden's biggest food chains. Furthermore, this qualitative research uses an inductive approach. Starting with existing theories, followed by a thematic analysis where collected data has been analysed to lastly explore specific themes related to ecolabels. Conclusion: The individual’s knowledge around ecolabels is a barrier to embracing them, and the change in consumer buying behaviour seems to be depending on that factor. The findings suggest that consumers are in general unaware of the benefits and meaning of ecolabels, but eager to attain knowledge if more approachable. Consumers and stores together need to cooperate in increasing consciousness for ecolabels to play a bigger role in changing consumer buying behaviour to greener.

The aim of this master's thesis is to find out whether there is a conflict between marketing communications and sustainability or if these can benefit from each other and how to apply this synergy in business reality. Firstly, overall impact of marketing communications on sustainable development is analyzed, mainly in terms of communications' content, and a potential role of marketing communications in achieving sustainable development is outlined. In the second part, sustainability is regarded as an opportunity for marketing incl. communications and sustainable marketing is introduced as a suitable reaction to this opportunity. A short analysis of current situation in Czech Republic follows. A great deal of the thesis is devoted to specific recommendations for businesses practicing sustainable marketing, be it on the product, brand or company level. These recommendations are then demonstrated on selected print advertisements. Finally, the thesis presents three ways in which marketing communications can help sustainable development, according to the author: (1) informing consumers about sustainable product and company choices, (2) normalizing sustainable behavior and usage of innovative products and (3) educating consumers.

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka konsumenters kännedom och uppfattningar om miljömärkningar i textilbranschen samt om de ger avtryck i deras konsumtion. Studien har genomförts med en kvantitativ ansats genom en enkätundersökning som är utformad utifrån en kvalitativ förstudie. Tidigare litteratur menar att standardiserade miljömärken är mycket bättre än butikskedjornas egna miljömärkningar då de är baserade på en oberoende organisations kriterier. Utifrån denna studie kan det dras en slutsats om att de standardiserade miljömärkningarna är mer igenkända och pålitliga än butikskedjornas egna, speciellt “Svanen” och “Bra Miljöval”. Tidigare litteratur har visat att kunskap är en viktig bidragande faktor för att minska miljöpåverkan vid konsumtion av plagg. Konsumenter vill göra rationella och medvetna hållbara val men brist på information och kunskap kring olika miljömärken gör det svårt. Denna avsaknad på medvetenhet och kunskap beror till stor del på begränsningar i marknadsföringsstrategier och så kallad “branding” av miljövänliga märkningar. Studien bekräftar även tidigare forskning som menar att den största anledning till att konsumenter inte köper hållbara plagg är på grund av bristande kunskap inom området. / This study aims to identify consumers knowledge and perceptions towards eco-labels in the textile industry and if they give an impression on their consumption. The study has been conducted with a quantitative approach through a questionnaire survey that is designed on the basis of a qualitative study. Earlier literature shows that standardized eco-labels are much better than stores own eco-labels since they are based on the criteria of an independent organization. Based on this study, a conclusion can be drawn that the standardized eco-labels are more recognized and reliable than store chains own, especially "Svanen" and "Bra Miljöval". Previous literature has shown that knowledge is an important contributing factor in reducing the environmental impact when consuming garments. Consumers want to make rational and conscious sustainable choices, but lack of information and knowledge about different eco-labels makes it difficult. This lack of awareness and knowledge is largely due to limitations in marketing strategies and branding of environmentally friendly labels. The study also confirms previous research that show that the biggest reason why consumers do not buy sustainable garments is because of lack of knowledge about its impact on the environment.

The thesis deals with sustainable tourism and its development in Norway. It generally explains the main positive and negative impact of tourism, defines the concept of sustainable development and the forms of sustainable tourism. It provides the general characteristics of Norway and the description of incoming, outgoing and domestic tourism. The thesis discusses the main factors influencing the sustainable tourism in Norway and is focused on the development of Norwegian ecotourism. Last but not least there is a summary of the main recommendations for sustainable travelling in the thesis.

The aim of this thesis is processing ÚZEI data for organic agricultural production in individual regions of the Czech Republic in the form of maps and graphs that provide a basic overview of the territorial deployment of crop and livestock production of organic farming. For crop production are given the following information: sown area in the conversion period and in the full organic mode, organic production and the average yield. Data of livestock in organic farming provide information about the numerical status of the individual categories of livestock. Part of the thesis is also devoted to the realization of crop and livestock organic products on the market in 2012. The thesis is part of the project Gaju 019/2013 / S.

The thesis deals with the concept of sustainable tourism development and its application in destination Finland. Main goal of the thesis is to depict the present state of sustainable tourism in this Nordic country and evaluate sustainable development of tourism in North Savo region. In the theoretical part, the importance of tourism and the sustainable tourism development is discussed. The following part is concerned with a basic characteristic of Finland as a tourist destination and the description of incoming and domestic tourism. The emphasis is further placed on an analysis of prerequisites for sustainable tourism in Finland. The analytical part focuses on an evaluation of sustainable tourism development awareness in North Savo region based on a questionnaire survey and selected indicators of sustainable tourism.

The contents of the Thesis feature a survey of contemporary international attitude to environmental development and its effect on the educational trends in the Czech republic. Also, the short-term eco-educational project intended for primary school children is included here in the Thesis. The aim of the project is to arouse environmental awareness of children and excite their interest in this matter, which is considered to be the first essential step towards the sustainable development.