Submitted in full requirement for the Degree of Master of Management Sciences Specialising in Hospitality and Tourism, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Over the years the rapid growth of the tourism industry has revealed itself to be a major source of income and social improvement for many. However, with this growth comes the undoubtable carbon footprint it carries. As a result, the growth and expansion of many tourism ecolabels have surfaced in the hopes of alleviating the negative environmental impacts the tourism industry imposes. This study aimed to ascertain the impacts of tourism ecolabels on businesses. It assessed the level of success of the ecolabel within the organisation as well as ascertained the benefits and challenges associated with ecolabel certification. A quantitative research approach was used and the data was collected by means of online questionnaires that were targeted at managers of tourism businesses in South Africa. The study reveals that tourism businesses in South Africa do experience the benefits of being certified with an ecolabel in terms of the natural, socio-cultural and economic environments. However, the high costs associated with being certified, the lack of general public awareness regarding ecolabels and the absence of government support are still prevalent. Consequently, cost reduction, promotion of public awareness as well as government support are the main areas of improvement required by tourism establishments with regard to ecolabels. / M

Green marketi ng is aimed at directing a company‘s efforts to undertake the processes of designing a product, its promotion, pricing, and distribution in a way that can help to protect the environment. The current study is aimed at investigating the influence of green marketing practices including eco-labeling, green branding and green advertising on consumer buying behavior in Pakistan which is a developing country. The study has also analyzed the mediating effect of environmental knowledge in the relationship between green marketing practices and consumer buying behavior. The research useda quantitative approach and a structured survey questionnaire to collect data from 300 respondents. The study results revealed that green advertising and green branding has a significant positive relationship with consumer buying behavior while eco-labeling is not a significant predictor for this purpose. Moreover, environmental knowledge partially mediates the relationship between green marketing and consumer buying behavior. In this way, the current study has contributed to literature by analyzing the green marketing practices with and without the presence of environmental knowledge in Pakistan. The results of the research are helpful for marketers to emphasize more on green advertising being the strong predictor of consumer buying behavior. It also urges them to make their environmental friendly activities closer to reality in order to gain greater acceptability from consumers. However, the study has not taken into account alldimensions of green marketing and the sample responses belong to the population in only urban areas of Pakistan.

<p>Research Question/Purpose: Due to environmental legislation, economic influences and increasing concern about the environment among the general public, today’s businesses are becoming more committed to environmental issues. Some enterprises yet have implemented a green strategy. This thesis aims at identifying issues that determine the long-term efficiency of green marketing and how confidence and trust plays a role in order to gain competitive advantage through customer satisfaction and customer retention. The common denominator of both, CRM and green marketing is the creation of confidence, trust and value for customers. So, focus is laid on measures that lend credibility to companies’ green marketing by interviewing experts and observing their opinions about green marketing and eco-labeling.</p><p>Design/Methodology/Approach: Interviews conducted with company professionals from IKEA and Konsum Gävleborg and a member of the municipality in Gävle, as well as findings from secondary sources of the company Nestlé were used to investigate the companies’ ways to respond to environmental concern and how they deal with green issues and ecological responsibility. The interviews provide valuable insights of the success of green marketing depending on the confidence between company and customer.</p><p>Findings: By analyzing the results of the interviews with the literature review, the thesis reveals that environmental responsibility and ecological orientation needs to be based upon the entire business strategy of a company and implemented in its core principles in order to deal effectively and efficiently with this issue.</p><p>Conclusions: Companies respond in different ways to ecological issues, through eco-labeling, cooperation with NGOs and energy-saving production processes. In conclusion, it can be said that the need for customer relationship commitment, trust, confidence and loyalty as a result of satisfaction are as important in customer relationship management as in green marketing, because competitive advantage can be achieved by environment-related activities and motivates companies to go green to promote ecologically sustainable practices.</p><p>Research Limitations/Implications: There is a number of literature focusing on customer relationship management and implications of green issues for business strategy, but there are only a few on green marketing yet and the interaction between green marketing and CRM is missing attention, so far.</p><p>Originality/Value: This work seeks to make a contribution towards bridging the ends of CRM and green marketing. It indicates a relationship between eco-orientation and company performance and implicates, on the basis of the theoretical and empirical findings, that integrating ecological features and good performance in a company is not impossible. Trust and confidence are as important concepts in green marketing as in CRM.</p>

Title: “A Study of Factors That Affect Green Purchase”   Due to the environmental issues, green products have got more attention during the latest years and the availability of such products is increasing in many food stores. The appearance of eco-label assists the consumers in the store to buy eco-friendly products which are less harmful to the environment. Eco-labels which are frequently available in the food stores are; The Nordic eco-label (Svanen), Krav, The Euro Flower, MSC label (Marine stewardship council) and Bra Miljöval.  Governments in some countries are supporting these labels to ensure the sustainable development and a better quality of life for everyone, and for the generations to come. A question, which arises here, is that what compels the consumers to choose eco-labelled products over conventional ones. We have short-listed several factors during literature review which can influence the consumers green purchase behavior and these factors are; Eco-motivation, Eco-knowledge, Gender, Peer influence, Price and Shelf space.    The purpose of this study is to get a deeper understanding of the factors that can affect green purchase of food products in the store. Thus our main research question that we want to answer with our study is: “Which are the most important factors that influence the purchase behavior of eco-labelled products?” Along with this main research question we are also interested to know if ‘shelf space’ is an important factor that can affect the consumer’s choice of eco-labelled products in the store. Due to lack of data there is still no clear understanding about the role of shelf space in the purchase decision of green products. To answer these questions we will investigate all these factors and try to understand their influence on consumer green purchase behavior.  This quantitative study is carried out in Umeå, Sweden with 150 respondents and focuses mainly on the food market consumers. We stand on objectivist position for this study and we believe that cross-sectional research design is most suitable to fulfill our research purpose. We developed several null hypotheses and for this purpose we distributed our research questionnaire at the entrance of different super markets in Umeå, Sweden to collect our data from the respondents. We applied convenience sampling with simple quota to this research. We evaluated the gathered data with help of SPSS. Results proved that eco-motivation and shelf space plays vital role (positive correlated) in the purchase decision of eco-labelled products. We have provided statistical evidence that eco-motivation and shelf space induce actual purchase of green products. Eco-knowledge shows to induce interest in eco-labelled product but does not help in actual purchase of eco-labelled products. Surprisingly price and gender has not shown any influence on the consumer green purchase. We believe that our findings and recommendations can contribute in the area of consumer’s ecological behavior research. Due to our sampling technique (convenience) and small size of our respondent we cannot generalize the results of this study.   Key words: Purchase decision, Green marketing, Eco-labeling, Shelf space, Eco-motivation, Eco-knowledge, Gender, Price, Peer influence

Conventionally, efforts of combating climate change mainly focus on reducing emissions at production sources, such as factories, offices or other organizational-based entities. While this approach has served its purposes for years, the environmental impacts of consumer goods, which cause cross-border carbon emission are very difficult to be managed. This study investigated the feasibilities of an alternative solution to combat climate change using the concept of product carbon footprint (PCF) labelling in Hong Kong. PCF describes the total set of greenhouse gases caused by a product over its whole life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. The concept of PCF is prevalent in regions such as Europe, Japan and Taiwan, where PCF information is shown as labels on products’ packaging to help consumers distinguish more eco-friendly products. These PCF labels, based on overseas pioneer experience, have shown enormous market potential and environmental benefits. Hong Kong has yet to establish such labelling system despite these benefits. The aim of the study is to investigate the feasibilities of introducing PCF labelling in Hong Kong and identify the opportunities and difficulties lie ahead. Five main types of feasibilities, namely technical, economic, legal, operational and scheduling feasibilities were considered in the study and in-depth review was carried out on each one. Literature review, questionnaire for general public and interviews with stakeholders were undertaken to understand existing PCF labelling schemes and obtain first-hand information from stakeholders of different perspectives. By analyzing the questionnaire and interview results, the study revealed that short-term feasibilities of introducing PCF labelling in Hong Kong is medium. Recommendations were made in accordance to each type of feasibilities to promote the wider adoption of PCF labelling in the future. / published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Research Question/Purpose: Due to environmental legislation, economic influences and increasing concern about the environment among the general public, today’s businesses are becoming more committed to environmental issues. Some enterprises yet have implemented a green strategy. This thesis aims at identifying issues that determine the long-term efficiency of green marketing and how confidence and trust plays a role in order to gain competitive advantage through customer satisfaction and customer retention. The common denominator of both, CRM and green marketing is the creation of confidence, trust and value for customers. So, focus is laid on measures that lend credibility to companies’ green marketing by interviewing experts and observing their opinions about green marketing and eco-labeling. Design/Methodology/Approach: Interviews conducted with company professionals from IKEA and Konsum Gävleborg and a member of the municipality in Gävle, as well as findings from secondary sources of the company Nestlé were used to investigate the companies’ ways to respond to environmental concern and how they deal with green issues and ecological responsibility. The interviews provide valuable insights of the success of green marketing depending on the confidence between company and customer. Findings: By analyzing the results of the interviews with the literature review, the thesis reveals that environmental responsibility and ecological orientation needs to be based upon the entire business strategy of a company and implemented in its core principles in order to deal effectively and efficiently with this issue. Conclusions: Companies respond in different ways to ecological issues, through eco-labeling, cooperation with NGOs and energy-saving production processes. In conclusion, it can be said that the need for customer relationship commitment, trust, confidence and loyalty as a result of satisfaction are as important in customer relationship management as in green marketing, because competitive advantage can be achieved by environment-related activities and motivates companies to go green to promote ecologically sustainable practices. Research Limitations/Implications: There is a number of literature focusing on customer relationship management and implications of green issues for business strategy, but there are only a few on green marketing yet and the interaction between green marketing and CRM is missing attention, so far. Originality/Value: This work seeks to make a contribution towards bridging the ends of CRM and green marketing. It indicates a relationship between eco-orientation and company performance and implicates, on the basis of the theoretical and empirical findings, that integrating ecological features and good performance in a company is not impossible. Trust and confidence are as important concepts in green marketing as in CRM.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether environmental eco-labeling CSR-initiatives have an impact on brand equity. Specifically, if Swan eco-labeling on Ariel’s detergents have an impact on Ariel´s brand equity from a consumer’s perspective. A quantitative study was conducted on Kristianstad University students in Sweden where a sample survey of consumers’ attitudes were collected then analyzed using Spearmans’ correlation coefficient along with independent-samples t-tests. A modified model of Keller´s (2009) customer-based brand equity model (CBBE) was employed along with five proposition regarding CSR´s impact on brand equity. The findings of this study showed that environmental CSR has positive effect on all of the components of brand equity such as; brand awareness, brand image, brand meaning, brand response and brand resonance. In conclusion the findings of this study show that the Swan eco-label on Ariel’s detergents has an impact on how the respondents view Ariel as a brand.

Thesis (MPhil (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / The paper examines the evolution of ecolabelling/certification in tourism in the context of the evolution of the concepts of sustainable development and tourism, certification’s definitions, motivations, international practices and challenges, and focuses on its intended function as a voluntary market mechanism. Parallels are drawn with the African experience and consideration is given to the particular problems of certification in Africa as a member of the Third World. Evidence is examined, including a local tourist survey that points to certification’s ineffectiveness as a means to influence consumer choice, at least in its current form as a voluntary, selfregulatory tool. An attempt is also made to disprove its effectiveness as a source of competitive advantage for tourism companies by considering it within the framework of competitive strategy theory. It is concluded that certification is a poor market mechanism. Consequently, elements of a model for the effective use of ecolabelling as a tool in a suite of sustainability tools in tourism in Africa, are proposed.

xix, 187 p. : ill. (some col.) / In Chapter II I analyze eco-labeling in the tourism industry, specifically the impact of the Blue Flag label for marinas and beaches on prices of marina slip rentals, weekly sailboat charter prices and hotel accommodation prices. The principal findings include that Blue Flag certified marinas appear to enjoy an average premium between 6.6% and 22% for their daily slip rental prices, between 40% and 49% for their monthly slip rental prices, and 23% for their yearly slip rental prices. Within the sailboat charter sector, vessels whose home marina is awarded the Blue Flag on average carry a price premium between 14% and 20% on a weekly sailboat rental. When it comes to hotel accommodation, hotels managing a Blue Flag certified beach enjoy a price premium between 45% and 270%. In Chapter III I employ a dataset on the global frequency of climate-change-related natural disasters to explain the probability of the start and occurrence, in a given year, of civil war and civil war durations during the last half of the 20th century. Extreme cold events are found to have a measurable positive effect on the probability of civil war starting in the affected countries, previous years' extreme heat events have a positive effect on the probability of a civil war occurring in a given year, and droughts have a positive effect on civil war duration. These findings can be used by policymakers as they contemplate climate change mitigation policies. In Chapter IV I investigate the determinants of ratification delay of a major oil pollution international environmental agreement, MARPOL. Importantly, I analyze the impact of oil spills, as well as various country characteristics, on the time a country takes to ratify MARPOL. The major contribution lies in the examination of impacts of environmental pollution events on international political decision making. I find that the amount of oil spilled decreases the time to ratify MARPOL. This is the first study that seeks to address this issue in a quantitative fashion. The results should inform policymakers by giving them insight into relevant determinants of legislative delay in ratifying treaties. / Committee in charge: Dr. Trudy Ann Cameron, Chairperson; Dr. Wesley W. Wilson, Member; Dr. Benjamin Hansen, Member; Dr. Ronald Mitchell, Outside Member

In recent decades, the global impacts of unsustainable consumption and production patterns have become a leading topic of sustainability, and more recently, climate action discourse. At the policy level, green consumerism – an element of green capitalism – has been positioned as the pathway to more sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices. Within this model, eco-labeling schemes are used to communicate various sustainability attributes, or conditions of production, to the consumer. This study set out to investigate whether SCP is achievable through green consumerism using a two-part case study that centers around the egg industry and specific hen welfare standards. The case study examines the effectiveness of egg eco-labeling schemes and related statements and images placed on egg packaging in informing consumers' purchasing decisions. It also examines the impacts of green consumerism on organic egg production in the presence of strong consumer demand for enhanced hen welfare standards. The results of the case study demonstrate that in the egg industry, green consumerism is not highly effective because consumers' purchasing decisions are often informed by vague and misleading information about conditions of production. Moreover, the presence of strong consumer demand has not resulted in enhanced hen welfare standards in organic production. In interpreting these findings through the lens of David Harvey's theory of the spatial fix, I argue that the true role of green consumerism is to facilitate a spatial fix to resolve the chronic crisis of overaccumulation in the conventional egg industry. Furthermore, that the limitations and contradictions within green consumerism (e.g. vague or insignificant eco-label claims) aid in removing the barrier of capital fixity so that the spatial fix can occur.