dissertation on sustainability marketing

The Palgrave Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility pp 1269–1292 Cite as

Sustainable Marketing

• Farzana Quoquab 3 ,
• Nur Zulaikha Mohamed Sadom 3 &
• Jihad Mohammad 4  
• Reference work entry
• First Online: 01 January 2021

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In recent years, the notion of ‘sustainability’ became a global concern due to the population outburst, increased poverty, health hazards, rapid urbanization, resource depletion, ecosystem damage, and climate change. Addressing these challenges is utmost necessity which calls for effective measures to be taken to achieve substantive reforms in order to achieve sustainability. As such, the concept like ‘sustainable development’ and ‘Millennium Development Goals (MDG)’ have been emerged which gave birth to the ‘sustainability marketing’ philosophy. The sustainability marketing concept is an integrative approach that emphasizes on ecological, social, and economical aspects in the development of marketing strategies. Although the research interest on this topic is growing, the discussion on sustainability marketing seems fragmented. Considering this, the present chapter attempts to review and synthesize the relevant literature pertaining to sustainability marketing in order to provide a better understanding on the topic.

• Sustainable Development
• Sustainability Marketing
• Care for Environment
• Triple Bottom Line
• Millennium Development Goals

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Key References

Belz FM, Peattie K (2012) Sustainability marketing, 2nd edn. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., UK

Fuller DA (1999) Sustainable marketing: managerial-ecological issues. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks

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Quoquab F, Mohammad J (2019b) Green behavior and corporate social responsibility in Asia. Emerald Publishing, Bingley

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International Business School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Farzana Quoquab & Nur Zulaikha Mohamed Sadom

Department of Management and Marketing, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Jihad Mohammad

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Correspondence to Farzana Quoquab .

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De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

David Crowther

Social Responsibility Research Network http://www.srrnet.org

Shahla Seifi

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Quoquab, F., Mohamed Sadom, N.Z., Mohammad, J. (2021). Sustainable Marketing. In: Crowther, D., Seifi, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42465-7_76

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Published : 17 June 2021

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Sustainability Dissertation Topics

Students can use the campus to test solutions to real-world sustainability challenges as part of a Living Lab project. Here are some sustainability dissertation ideas.

19 November 2022

Dissertation topics

Living lab for a positive climate .

Our goal is to have net zero-arbon buildings by 2024 and to be a net zero-carbon institution by 2030.

Research topics include:

• Review UCL buildings for climate change resilience and implement adaptation measures
• Research into enhancing video conferencing for large events
• Sourcing renewable energy providers for gas to enable a zero-carbon heating supply
• Research on academic travel reduction initiatives
• Research on UCL’s new Climate Accountability Scheme (combining a carbon price with behavioural nudges) to incentivise climate action by departments.
• Reducing the climate impact of UCL’s hospitality

Living lab on reducing waste and consumption

Our goal is to reduce waste per person by 20% and to become a single-use plastic-free campus by 2024.

• How to eliminate plastic across UCL
• How to increase recycling at UCL (campaign)
• Labels and messaging on food

Consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability considerations in food production and consumption. In addition to the traditional dietary and nutritional requirements, consumers are seeking labels and certifications to know where and how food is made, what it is made from, its carbon footprint and sustainability credentials. UCL would like to investigate what information we should supply, how this should be displayed, communicated and marketed, to allow our communities to make informed decisions and promote a flexitarian diet. It is anticipated this would require the following activity:

• Developing questionnaires for opinions on carbon footprinting, carbon pricing and other sustainability information they want to know about, to inform point-of-sale purchasing choices in outlets.
• Comparing marketing of food as “vegan” or “plant-based” and the impacts on consumer’s perceptions.
• Investigating the notion of “label fatigue “where consumers are overwhelmed by information on packaging, and the impact of the project on this.
• Baselining data on food choices.
• Developing a labelling system for packaging/ refectory display boards – using data and survey responses.
• Trialling the labelling system.
• Surveying responses.
• Recording food choices and comparing to baseline, to identify behavioural change.

Living lab on biodiversity

Our aim is to create 10,0000m2 of extra biodiverse space by 2024 – equivalent to more than one and a half football pitches as well as increasing health and wellbeing for the Bloomsbury community.

Research topics include: 

• Research on different types of green infrastructure e.g. green walls, roofs, community gardens, and where UCL could implement them.
• Research on biodiversity and wildlife across UCL’s estate.
• Research on air pollution levels across UCL’s estate

Dissertation guide 

Step 1: choose your topic.

• Take a look at the sustainability research topics list to see if they interest you.
• If you require data on energy, travel, procurement, UCL’s sustainability engagement programmes or water please email Sustainable UCL to request this.
• If you have alternative research topic ideas for a sustainable living lab dissertation or project please contact us.

Step 2: Discuss with your department

• Speak with your supervisor or someone in your department about undertaking a living lab dissertation and refining your topic.
• They can advise you on scales, time scales and marking criteria.

Step 3: Contact Sustainable UCL

• Arrange a meeting with Sustainable UCL to ensure your project can make a valuable contribution to UCL.
• Sustainable UCL can provide data and put you in touch with relevant operational staff such as catering members and plumbers to test out your ideas.
• You can invite your supervisor to this meeting, but it is not a requirement.

Step 4: Undertake your dissertation

• Sustainable UCL can meet a further 2 times or 2 hours maximum to support your dissertation or project.

Step 5: Sharing data and findings

• One of the principles of the Living Lab Project is to make available any additional data you generate for others to build on, so the work can keep ‘living’
• Once your dissertation is completed, we require a concise 2-3 page briefing or presentation on your findings so that we can implement your ideas onto campus or future students and staff can build on your research. Living Lab projects usually spark plenty of ideas for further research, including aspects you were not able to cover during the project.

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20 Dissertation Topics on Sustainability and Green Technology

Published by Carmen Troy at January 9th, 2023 , Revised On August 16, 2023

Introduction

Looking for interesting and manageable topics on sustainability and green technology for your dissertation or thesis? Well, you have come to the right place.

The subject of sustainability, green technology, and environmental friendliness has gained tremendous importance over the last years – thanks to the ever-increasing pollution, climate change, and high production costs throughout the world.

Without wasting any more of your time, here are the 20 dissertation topics ideas in this trendy field, so you choose the one that is not only intriguing but also manageable for you.

These topics have been developed by PhD writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for 2022 here.

2022 Research Topics on Sustainability and Green Technology

Topic 1: the role of artificial intelligence (ai) and green technology in the develpment of smart and sustainable towns.

Research Aim: This study intends to find the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology in developing smart and sustainable towns. It will review the concepts of smart and sustainable towns to show their importance in the modern era to reduce global warming. Then it will assess the role of AI by analyzing various machine learning and deep learning models to show how these models can help develop smart and sustainable towns. Lastly, it will review what work has already been done in this area and what should be done.

Topic 2: Impact of Research and Development (R&D) Expenditure in Green Technology on the Sustainability Outcomes of the Construction Industry- A Case of Malaysian Construction Industry

Research Aim: This study intends to analyze the impact of Research and Development (R&D) expenditure in green technology on the sustainability outcomes of the construction industry in Malaysia. It will review the current green technology used in the Malaysian construction industry and its development. Moreover, it will show how the construction industry is spending to develop new green technology and how much it requires to make it completely sustainable. It will also identify various national and international sources which can invest in this industry to make it more sustainable.

Topic 3: What are the Motivating and Demotivating Factors for Green Supply Chain Practices? An Exploratory Study Finding the Factors Affecting Green Supply Chain Practices in the UK

Research Aim: This research will identify various motivating and demotivating factors (return on green investment, production output, local and global competitiveness, political support, international support, investors support, etc.) for green supply chain practices. It will study various industries in the UK, such as construction, hotel industry, retail industry, etc., find out how the abovementioned factors affected their interest in green technology and green supply chain practices. Moreover, it will assess the work done in this area and how various institutions can motivate these industries.

Topic 4: Influence of Green Advertising on the Consumer View of Green Technology and Sustainability in the US

Research Aim: This study shows the impact of green advertising on the consumer perception of green technology and sustainability. It will assess how various components of green advertising work and how they affect the consumer perception of the need for green technology. Moreover, it will analyze different green advertising strategies used by companies in the US to influence consumer perception and how these strategies can be improved to make US consumers more interested in the products, which are a product of environment-friendly production process.

Topic 5: Green Economy a Necessity? Impact of Green Technology on Sustainable Economic Growth and Development- A Case of ASEAN Economies

Research Aim: It proposes a framework to analyze the impact of green technology on sustainable economic growth and development. It will show whether the green economy is essential for growth and development or not. It will assess various effects of green technology on the economy and ecology. And show how improving ecology can benefit human development, which can be good for long-term economic growth in the ASEAN countries. Lastly, it will analyze the current progress of these countries in creating a green economy.

Covid-19 Sustainability and Green Technology Research Topics

Topic 1: covid-19 and the need to expand sustainable energy.

Research Aim: It’s high time to expand sustainable energy during COVID-19.

Topic 2: COVID-19 and the environment

Research Aim: This study will focus on the positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 on the environment.

Topic 3: Economic expenditure on the green environment during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will review the economic expenditure and plans on the green environment during COVID-19.

Topic 4: The green economy after COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will analyse the current issues related to green technology and predict the future of a green environment after COVID-19.

Dissertation Topics Ideas on Sustainability and Green Technology for 2021

Topic 1: research on sustainable gardens.

Research Aim: This research aims to conduct research on creating sustainable gardens and identify their benefits.

Topic 2: Sustainable outdoor designs using recycled materials

Research Aim: This research aims to identify various methods of creating sustainable outdoor designs using recycled materials and identify their benefits.

Topic 3: Pollution-free disposal and recycling of trash

Research Aim: This research aims to identify various methods to ensure pollution-free disposal and recycling of trash

Topic 4: Importance of gardening- awareness and ideas for the city, terrace/roof gardening

Research Aim: This research aims to address the importance of gardening and its awareness among the public. It will also focus on identifying cost-effective and innovative ideas for the city, terrace/roof gardening.

20 Dissertation Topics Ideas on Sustainability and Green Technology for 2020

Topic 1: examining the economic impacts of green technology.

Research Aim: The research will involve comparing the costs incurred in developing green energy and the economic benefits. The services will be saved once alternative forms of materials and energy sources are used. It will be relevant in identifying whether it is worth investing in green technology from an economic perspective. It will also help in developing supportive policies that guide green technology.

Topic 2: How do national and regional politics affect environmental sustainability?

Research Aim: This research study will analyse the role of politics in the environment. It will explore the positive or negative impacts of individual political inclinations.

Topic 3: How sustainable is the environment in the current and forthcoming eras?

Research Aim: This research will analyse global trends and their impacts on environmental trends. Developments such as increasing population, climate change, and using various materials affect the people. It will inform about how sustainability measures can be structured to align with the trends.

Topic 4: Adoption of green energy by low-end users

Research Aim: The research will be based on realising a market niche that cannot afford or are not willing to spend on an expensive product. Additionally, the embrace of some advanced technologies varies across classes, mainly based on exposure. There is also the notion that green technology can be expensive, making the stated users reluctant to use it. Accordingly, the research will focus on the factors that make the users have their respective levels of using green technology.

Topic 5: How green technology can affect organisational processes

Research Aim: This research will analyze how processes that can include procuring and sourcing, producing, sales, marketing, and delivering products, among others, can be impacted once green technology is introduced. It will help analyse cost and time effectiveness and the satisfaction of the organization’s stakeholders. It can help recommend structural changes when an organisation is considering green technology.

Topic 6: To what extent does green technology contribute to environmental sustainability?

Research Aim:  notably, several factors are contributing to environmental degradation and pollution. While green technology has been identified in previous research to ensure sustainability, its contribution can be compared with the other factors. Accordingly, recommendations can be made about whether it is the absolute solution to sustainability.

Topic 7: Green technology and global environmental sustainability frameworks

Research Aim: The study will assess how the frameworks affect the use of green technology. Various global environmental practices are commonly developed. The research will suggest any amendments to the frameworks to positively correlate them with green technology. Also, the topic will evaluate how the frameworks are implemented in various regions.

Topic 8: Green technology practices in developing countries

Research Aim: The research will explore the extent to which developing countries use and promote green technology. They are characterised by having a lower economy. The priority they have on sustainability will be established.

Topic 9: How do policies affect the use of green technology in a country?

Research Aim: The research acknowledges that regulatory bodies devise policies to guide various industries. The guidelines can be supportive or suppressive in the development and use of green technology. For instance, the bodies’ incentives can encourage green technology, while factors like high taxation can discourage it. Therefore, focusing on a particular country’s policies can be insightful into the level at which the technology is incorporated.

Topic 10: Incentives for green technology and environmental sustainability

Research Aim: The study will be purposed on how green technology can be promoted among users and manufacturers. It will first identify the challenges the users can use and apply the technology. It will also evaluate the level of sensitisation about green technology that people in a region have. The various stakeholders can execute the incentives in environmental sustainability.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service , which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

More Research Titles on Sustainability and Green Technology

Topic 1: what roles do ngos have on environmental sustainability and green technology.

Research Aim: The research will establish how NGOs can be incorporated into sustainability. NGOs have distinct objectives. While some are specific to environmental conservation, others focus on aspects that indirectly affect the environment positively or negatively. The study will then suggest how the NGOs can be motivated to advance their operations and promote green technology.

Topic 2: Impactful green thinking to achieve sustainability

Research Aim: The research analyses humans’ behaviour on issues that can promote sustainability. It explores how people can change their perspective on the environment and take measures at individual and collective levels. It will recommend some habitual changes that can positively impact the environment.

Topic 3: A holistic approach to environmental sustainability

Research Aim: Sustainability comprises various factors, ranging from behavioural, resources, technological, and procedural. Most studies have focused on particular sets of characteristics. However, it can be intriguing how integrating sustainability factors can be achieved. Also, it will be realised if implementing some measures of sustainability has any correlation to others.

Topic 4: Can there be a balance between lifestyle and green technology?

Research Aim: the study will assess the relationship between current lifestyle and green technology. It will be relevant in identifying the personal understanding of green technology’s contribution and how people are ready to adjust their lifestyle to technology. It will further show how green technology affects lifestyles.

Topic 5: How do businesses perceive green energy and environmental sustainability?

Research Aim: The research aims to identify how profit-making organisations approach green technology. It will focus on whether they find it less costly and useful. Also, it will establish whether they find products that involve green technology are usually marketable. Further, it will identify the organisation’s preference for the working environment, whether in regions that promote environmental sustainability or those that do not.

Topic 6: Examining sustainability policies in developed and developing countries

Research Aim: The research will compare regulations instituted in the two sets of countries. It will also assess the extent of implementation of the policies in the countries.

Topic 7: Challenges facing green technology as one of the drivers towards sustainability

Research Aim: The research will be based on green technology recognition as a crucial attribute to environmental sustainability. Despite the assertion, the technology has not attained universal coverage as it would be more impactful. The challenges can vary from economic, social, geographical, and regulatory, and it can then be recommended that the research focuses on a particular region. The results can also be analysed to identify any general challenges in the areas.

Topic 8: What is the consumer perspective towards green production?

Research Aim: Businesses target to satisfy the needs of consumers. The study will assess whether the consumer has a force towards producers that can make the latter inclined towards using green technology. This research study will essentially focus on the consumables industry.

Topic 9: Stakeholders’ contribution to green technology

Research Aim: The research will establish all the stakeholders in green energy. It will reveal their interests and drivers towards green technology. There will be an insight into whether there is a conflict of interests between the stakeholders and how they can be resolved. It will also help identify how the stakeholders can collaborate and integrate their resources and ideas.

Topic 10: Current trends in green technology and the future of technology

Research Aim: the research will aim to overview how green energy has been advancing over time. The trend will then help in predicting the future of green technology. Besides, it will be informative about the contribution green energy has had on environmental sustainability at various levels. It will then make recommendations about the optimum technology as per the available information and developments.

Also Read: Dissertation Topics in Engineering Management

How ResearchProspect Can Help You?

We are aware of the problems students are likely to face when it comes to finding a suitable topic in sustainability and green technology. Therefore our expert writers are always looking forward to assisting you with your topic search.

We hope you could find a suitable topic from the 20 topic suggestions in green technology and sustainability as provided in this article. But even if you didn’t find any of these topics suitable for your needs, you can always contact us to get custom topics ideas from our expert writers.

Our team of expert writers in any field you like your work to be carried out in will facilitate you and ensure you get the grades that you are worthy of and deserve.

Important Notes:

As a student of sustainability and green technology looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing sustainability and green technology theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

Sustainability and green technology are vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like environmental engineering . That is why it is imperative to create a sustainability and green technology dissertation topic that is particular, sound, and solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your fundamental research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your issue wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best sustainability and green technology dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample sustainability and green technology dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure your Dissertation on Sustainability & Green Technology

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic, and binding terms can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to link the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : This should be completed following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find sustainability and green technology dissertation topics.

For sustainability and green technology dissertation topics:

• Research recent environmental challenges.
• Explore innovative green solutions.
• Examine policy and industry trends.
• Analyze potential socio-economic impacts.
• Focus on interdisciplinary approaches.
• Select a topic resonating with your passion and expertise.

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