Green Marketing Trek: Drivers, Challenges and Future Directions in Emerging Markets- A Systematic Literature Review

Green marketing is growing in importance as it is tied to the universal goal of sustainable development. Although green marketing is gaining in prominence as a strategic imperative, mixed accounts a bound on its ability to create sustainable competitive advantage. Against this backdrop, this conceptual paper discusses the concept of green marketing, its drivers, challenges and future directions in the context of emerging markets. With the aid of a systematic literature review, this paper discusses market opportunities and challenges, implementation gaps, future directions and misconceptions associated with the adoption and implementation of green marketing. Results of literature review showed that the adoption of green marketing is driven principally by market opportunities, environmental legislation, operating efficiencies and improved profitability. Literature reviewed also notes challenges associated with green marketing implementation such as consumer cynicism, variability in demand of green products and exorbitant investment costs related to green technologies. This paper concludes that successful implementation of green marketing depends on a green vision that meticulously counterbalances the vested interests of key stakeholders in the value chain such as suppliers and customers. Effective green marketing implementation is also contingent on the ability of top management to integrate, coordinate and re-configure corporate competences to achieve green marketing goals. This paper recommends that marketers should resist the green marketing bandwagon but rather focus on understanding implementation imperatives that are preconditions for creation of sustainable competitive advantage. Marketers should also note that green marketing is not a panacea to all marketing challenges as it needs to be supported by sound marketing acumen


Introduction and background to the study
A host of environmental problems such as climate change and depletion of natural resources confronting humanity makes the adoption of green marketing imperative (Polonsky, 2011). Increasingly, green marketing is growing in prominence as a strategy to promote environmental sustainability (Ottman, 2011). In what has been dubbed the green 'trek' (Ottman, 2008), an increasing number of companies are incorporating green marketing principles in corporate strategies as a way of creating competitive advantage (Polonsky, 2011). Although this trend is encouraging from an environmental sustainability perspective, there are mixed reports on the success rate of companies that are going green (Dauvergne & Lister, 2012). For this reason, Ramirez, Gonzalez and Moreira (2013) note that some companies are adopting an ambivalent posture towards green marketing. There are also growing concerns that green marketing is failing to achieve its potential for enhancing environmental sustainability and sustainable competitive advantage for adopting companies (Polonsky, 2011). Polonsky (2011) further notes the inherent failure by marketers to integrate green marketing strategies into marketing strategy in a coherent manner. In addition, Borin, Cerf and Krishnan (2011) note the existence of divergent views on the characterization of green marketing in the marketplace. Against this background, this conceptual paper sets out to answer the following pertinent questions: (1) what is green marketing? (2) What are the drivers, challenges and future directions of green marketing? The significance of this paper emanates from its contribution in delineating the concept of green marketing, including its role in promoting sustainable development. As green marketing evolves in research and practice, it is important to note where it stands in emerging markets and possible future directions in order to inform marketing strategies. Green marketing implementation requires massive investment hence this paper also suggests best practices for effective implementation. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: The first section provides the research methodology employed in this study. This is followed by a discussion of results of the study. The last section discusses the future prospects of green marketing. environment (consumer perspective) and the efforts by the organization to produce, promote, package and reclaim products in a manner that is sensitive or responsive to ecological concerns (environmental perspective).

Green Marketing Drivers:
In today's marketplace, going green is considered an important imperative and an opportunity for corporates (Dangelico & Pontrandolfo, 2010). The growing impetus towards the adoption of green marketing is driven principally by market opportunities, environmental legislation, competitive pressures and social responsibility (Chen, 2010;Deshwal, 2012;Mishra & Sharma, 2010). In addition, McKinsey's (2011) report revealed that other drivers for the adoption of green marketing include cost reduction, operating efficiencies, improved profitability, market share growth potential and improved value chain performance. At corporate level, the concept of green marketing is gaining prominence as a strategic tool for enhancing competitive advantage (Smith & Brower, 2012). For example, Accenture's (2010) survey revealed that 93 percent of chief executive officers of top global companies now consider implementation of green marketing strategies as a key success factor. Similarly, a Boston Consulting Group (2011) survey found that 60 percent of global companies increased their green marketing investments in 2010 in spite of the economic downturn. The main sources of competitive advantage that accrue to companies that implement green marketing strategies include cost reductions in raw material, energy usage and waste disposal (Mishra & Sharma, 2010;Mohajan, 2012). The cost savings attributed to investment in green marketing initiatives offer tangible benefits that translate into bottom-line gains (Smith & Brower, 2012). For example, investments in green supply chain processes such as ecological product design, eco-procurement and reverse logistics significantly reduce operating costs (Fraj, Martinez & Matute, 2011). According to the Boston Consulting Group (2011) Apart from good financial returns, if successfully implemented, green marketing also results in enhanced corporate image, supply collaboration, ethical procurement of raw materials, environmental risk management and an increase in consumer trust (Fraj, Martinez & Matute, 2011). For example, the use of reverse logistics enables manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to develop symbiotic relationships whereby the waste generated by one company is used by another as a cost-cutting measure (Mishra & Sharma, 2010;Mohanasundaram, 2012). A typical example is the South Africa retail giant Woolworths, which is running recycling projects with Nampak, Engen, Gusco and Isikhwama that, translate in cost savings in packaging (Woolworths Holdings Limited, 2012). In a nutshell, the implementation of green marketing improves supply chain productivity and performance through the use of the 3R typology, that is, reduce, reuse and recycle, as the guiding philosophy (Lee, Park & Trimi, 2013). However, Owen (2012) cautioned marketers about the likelihood of the "green marketing conundrum" whereby efficiencies reaped from green marketing implementation may unintentionally result in more consumption and production which ultimately translate into a larger carbon footprint. Besides cost reduction, companies are also embracing green marketing as a growth strategy (Mishra & Sharma, 2010). Growth opportunities are particularly being realized in sales of green products, green product innovation, market share acquisition and market development (Dauvergne & Lister, 2012). For example, Mishra and Sharma (2010) note a surge in the demand for green products as a key driver in the adoption of green marketing practices. Across the globe, it is estimated that 82 percent of consumers now prefer green products to conventional ones (Tinne, 2013), thereby positioning the green market as a growing attractive market segment. Some of the companies that were successful in implementing green marketing initiatives and improve their market shares include Toyota (Toyota Pirus), Coca-Cola (PET Project), Woolworths (Good Business Journey), Walmart (Organic product range), and Xerox (recycled paper photocopier) (Mishira & Sharma, 2010).
Another driver of the adoption of green marketing initiatives is social responsibility (Mishra & Sharma, 2010). To support this view, Babiak and Trendafilova (2011) are of the view that "the natural environment is increasingly being viewed as a pillar of social responsibility." In addition, Mohajan (2012) notes that more organizations than before are warming to the fact that they have a moral obligation to protect the environment. In line with the triple bottom line concept, investments in green marketing initiatives that benefit communities enhances the legitimacy of corporates as this demonstrates that they accept their obligation to protect the environment (Dhar & Das, 2012;Sarkar, 2012). The elements of corporate social responsibility within the sustainable marketing debate include responsible procurement, fair operating practices and responsible disposal of wastes (Kumar & Christodoulopoulou, 2013). Apart from enhancing an organization's environmental legitimacy, marketers also use social responsibility as a marketing tool (Dhar & Das, 2012). To this end, most companies are publicizing their green marketing initiatives in order to propel their corporate image (Hillestad, Xie & Haugland, 2010). Substantiating this view, Kumar and Christodoulopoulou (2013) note that the market value of an organization tends to increase following environmental philanthropy announcements and the awarding of environmental certifications.
At a macro-level, government regulations are also pressuring companies to adopt green marketing practices (Hale, 2011). Government regulations related to green marketing are designed to protect consumers by reducing the production and consumption of products that cause environmental harm, as well as assisting consumers in evaluating the environmental composition of green products (Mishra & Sharma, 2010). Although national governments have made remarkable strides in promulgating and enforcing environment laws, Simuka et al. (2009) warned that the lack of a global framework for enforcing environmental regulations and standards tends to negate the progress of individual governments. In the absence of a wellenforced global environment regulatory framework, Dauvergne and Lister (2012) note that global companies such as Walmart, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Toyota and Nike, among others, are branding themselves as "global sustainability champions" and acting as global environmental regulators in the process. The inherent danger of this self-regulation approach, according to Do Paco and Reis (2012), is the likelihood of selective adoption and implementation of environmental regulations. In addition to government pressure, market opportunities, competitive pressure and social responsibility, other factors that drive the adoption and implementation of green marketing practices include the company's strategic thrust, corporate size, company resources and core competencies (Fraj et al., 2011).

Challenges Associated with Green Marketing:
To successfully implement green marketing initiatives, marketers need to grapple with a host of challenges. Ramirez et al. (2013) note that, in spite of a general consensus of the benefits of green marketing, some corporates are still reluctant to adopt it due to several implementation challenges. Other researchers such as Polonsky (2011) are of the view that green marketing appears to be failing to achieve its expected potential of enhancing sustainable development. This view gains support from Dauvergne and Lister (2012) who argue that, globally, environmental problems continue to escalate as the desire for economic growth continues to pose a threat to green marketing efforts. Additionally, environmental problems tend to be compounded by the lack of a universally acceptable perspective regarding the causes and consequences of climate change (Polonsky, 2011). Against this backdrop, Hale (2011:91) opines that the solution to environmental challenges is more likely not going to be realized in the immediate future because of a lack of consensus on the causes of climate change and the slow implementation of international environmental agreements. One of the major problems that inhibit attempts to address environmental problems is the micronisation of environmental problems (Polonsky, 2011). Although supply chain members understand the importance of the systems approach in the exchange process, its application in the implementation of green marketing is not evident (Polonsky, 2011). The failure to adopt a broader systems approach in green marketing implementation results in green marketing practitioners perceiving a disconnection between macro-marketing and micro-marketing, which inhibits the implementation of transformative green strategies (Russell & Russell, 2010). To address this challenge, Polonsky (2011) suggests the need to integrate green marketing implementation with macro-marketing objectives. At micro-level, companies intending to implement green marketing initiatives encounter numerous challenges which include consumer cynicism, failure to structure effective green marketing messages, inability to measure environmental performance, variability in demand of green products, failure to manage the transition towards sustainability and exorbitant investment costs in green technologies (Polonsky, 2011;Chen & Chai, 2010). A discussion of the challenges associated with the implementation of green marketing initiatives follows.

Lack of standardization:
Lack of universally acceptable standards that authenticate green marketing claims is cited as one of the major challenges obstructing the market appeal of green products (Mishra & Sharma, 2010;Van Wyk & Deegan, 2009). For this reason, Mishra and Sharma (2010) emphasize the need for universally acceptable standards to monitor the use of green marketing tools such as environmental adverts, environmental labels, eco-brands and green product certifications (Mishra & Sharma, 2010). In the absence of green marketing standards, Ramirez et al. (2013) warned that consumer skepticism will continue to negatively affect the purchase of green products and derail progress towards effective green marketing implementation. To address consumer skepticism, Chen and Chai (2010) emphasize the need to integrate environmental attributes with traditional product attributes such as convenience, price, quality and performance. Sinnappan and Rahman (2011) add that, to create sustainable competitive advantage, marketers need to properly segment the green markets and position green products competitively in the consumers' psyche. In the absence of green product standards, Ottman (2011) suggests that marketers need to be guided by the tenets of the marketing concept to enhance the credibility of green products. Since this is a new concept in developing countries, Mishra and Sharma (2010) stress the importance of investing in green consumer education by incorporating consumers in green initiatives. Other challenges faced by marketers include negative attitudes towards green product quality and justifying the premium prices associated with green products (Singh & Pandey, 2012). Quality-related perceptions can be addressed by aligning green product attributes with consumer needs (Mishra & Sharma, 2010;Tiwari et al., 2011). The quality of green products can also be enhanced through the use of endorsements and environmental certifications from trustworthy independent third parties (Ottman, 2011).
Structuring green marketing messages: Apart from lack of green product standards, marketers are also confronted with the challenge of structuring green marketing messages in terms of tone, style and appeal (Smith & Brower, 2012). This challenge was also confirmed in a by Sampei & Aoyagi-Usui (2009) which found that framing effective environmental messages that have the potential of enhancing environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes and sustainable consumption patterns remains a challenge for marketers. The Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) (2009) also acknowledged that it remains a challenge to frame environmental communications because of the complexities, confusion and uncertainties associated with potential of green marketing to address environmental problems.
Credibility of green marketing tools: Positioning green products effectively in the marketplace is another challenge facing marketers (Chatterjee, 2009). In essence, the credibility of green marketing tools is singled out as the major obstacle that limits the adoption of green marketing practices by consumers (Belz & Peattie, 2009). To characterize this concern, in 1986, Westerveld, an avid environmentalist coined the term "green washing" to refer to the act of propagating misleading information about the environmental practices of the organization (Orange, 2010). Greenwashing is also defined as the intentional or unintentional act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service (Fernando, Sivakumaran & Suganthi, 2014). In practice, greenwashing denotes the practice of falsifying, omitting and presenting ambiguous environmental claims in green marketing messages (Tschupp, 2012). According to the green marketing firm Terrachoice (2010), the risks of greenwashing include misleading consumers, jeopardizing consumer trust, increased competitive pressure from illegitimate green products, poor corporate image and reduced market share as a result of consumer cynicism. Overall, greenwashing has a cumulative negative effect of spoiling the market for genuine green products and dilute the competitive edge associated with the adoption of green marketing strategies (Delmas & Burbano, 2011;Fernando et al., 2014). Although the threats of greenwashing are evident, there is no consensus in marketing literature on what constitutes greenwashing (Alves, 2009). Thus, Durif et al. (2010) and Tinne (2013) contend that the high number of greenwashing cases seems to be linked to the lack of clarity on the definition of green products. In an attempt to clarify the concept of greenwashing and the practice of green marketing, the Terrachoice 2008-2009 research culminated in the identification of the following forms of greenwashing as shown in Table 1: Involves portraying products as "green" based on a narrow set of attributes without paying attention to important environmental issues Sin of no proof Involves the use of unsubstantiated environmental claims Sin of vagueness Committed through the use of vague environmental claims such as "allnatural" Sin of worshipping labels Outright misrepresentation of green product labels (for example fake labels) Sin of irrelevance Emphasizing insignificant environmental claims in green marketing messages (for example CFC-free) Sin of lesser of two evils Involves a deliberate attempt to distract consumers from product attributes that have a significant negative effect to the environment Sin of fibbing Involves the use of false environmental claims Source: Terrachoice (2010) Environmental performance measurement: In addition to concerns about the credibility of green marketing tools, the attainment of green marketing objectives remains a challenge owing to because of the problems associated with the measurement of the environmental impact of green practices (Dangelico & Pujari, 2010). The challenge emanates mainly from the lack of consensus on what should be measured and how (Delai & Takahashi, 2011). This has resulted in the use of various sets of environmental performance measures, making it difficult to come up with best practices in assessing the success of green marketing initiatives thereby limiting environmental performance improvements (Delai & Takahashi, 2011). This view was confirmed in a study conducted by Epstein and Buhovac (2010) which concludes that the subjective nature of social and environmental impact assessments makes it difficult to quantify in objective terms the return on green marketing initiatives. In addition, a study by Delai and Takahashi (2011) also note the difficulty of promoting environmental accountability among employees owing to the challenge of integrating green marketing performance targets in their day-to-day operational activities (Delai & Takahashi, 2011).Although there is a plethora of green marketing metrics used in the marketplace, Singh, Murty, Gupta and Dikshit (2009)note that very few follow an integrated approach of incorporating environmental, economic and social dimensions. Given this background, Epstein and Buhovac (2010) note that the lack of an integrated approach to sustainability measurement has the potential to dilute the long-term commitment of key stakeholders in the implementation of green marketing initiatives.
The success rate of green products: Green product functionality is another potential obstacle, as some nongreen products are perceived to have attributes that are superior to those of green products and consumers are usually not prepared to trade off quality and functionality (Ramirez et al., 2013). Perceptions of the poor quality of green products make it a challenge to set a competitive price and generate market demand for sustainable offerings (Nidumolu, Prahalad & Rangaswami, 2009). Another challenge is the unwillingness of some consumers to pay the higher prices associated with green products (Awad, 2011;Carrete, Felix, Centeno &Gonzalez, 2012). Taking into consideration the high development costs of green products, it is a challenge to sell these products in price-sensitive markets, as in the absence of government subsidies they will not be able to compete with the cheaper conventional products (Dangelico & Pujari, 2010). In most developing countries, green marketing is still at a developmental stage and more needs to done to generate awareness of environmental problems and the benefits of green products (Kiran, 2012;Sarkar, 2012). Although eco-labels are instrumental in creating consumer awareness of green products, not all green product categories have credible eco-labels (Dangelico & Pujari, 2010). In addition, eco-labels are plagued by the time-consuming challenges of the coordination and negotiation processes involved in the certification process (Dangelico & Pujari, 2010).

Green marketing cost:
Although the implementation of green marketing has the potential to enhance the bottom line of organizations, not all firms have enough capability to undertake green marketing strategies (Chen & Chang, 2012). The implementation of green marketing strategies has a substantial impact on the financial resources of the organization because of expenditure on green infrastructure, training and development, research and the development of green marketing policies (Dauverge & Lister, 2012). In particular, the high initial cost of financing green infrastructure and the long payback periods are singled out as the main challenges faced by marketers (Vermillion & Peart, 2010). For instance, Wal-Mart spends $500 million annually to improve its supply chain and General Motors is estimated to be spending upwards of $2.5 billion a year on research and development for vehicles using alternative energy (Gleim, Smith, Andrews & Cronin, 2013). In South Africa, the new green hotel, Hotel Verde, cost about R20 million more than would a conventional hotel of its size (Hirsch, 2013). The contracting global economies make it difficult to invest in green marketing processes, considering the high initial investments required. In addition, the global economic downturn also affects the demand for green products as the majority of consumers are not willing to pay the premium associated with green products (Kiran, 2012;Singh, 2012). Sustainable marketing will succeed only if shareholders consider green marketing as a long-term commitment and are prepared to forgo short-term financial gains (Mohanasundaram, 2012;Sarkar, 2012). In view of the costs associated with green marketing, Leonidou, Leonidou, Fotiadis and Zerit (2013) suggest that going green imposes a financial burden on the firm and is one of the major obstacles to the practice of green marketing. The huge investments made by firms, coupled with the variability of demand for green products, are the major challenges for companies (Gleim et al., 2013). Globally, financial markets continue to be fragile, owing to the prolonged effects of the financial crisis that has resulted in a downturn in green marketing investments (World Economic Forum, 2011). Another challenge is designing a system that accurately assigns the environmental costs to specific participants causing environmental harm within the supply chain (Polonsky, 2011).

Change management:
The implementation of green marketing requires a radical change in organizational culture and operations (Linnenluecke & Griffiths, 2010;). The change process involves a paradigm shift from the conventional linear cradle-to-grave operational model to the more holistic cradleto-cradle model (Borland, 2009). The necessity for wholesome changes in the operating philosophy of the organization is supported by a study conducted by Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), which cautioned against a piecemeal approach to green marketing implementation. Part of the challenge is to manage the change process, especially gain the support of internal stakeholders of the organization such as top management, shareholders and employees (Leonidou et al., 2013). Some of the major challenges include such factors as culture misalignment with sustainability values, lack of employee awareness and fear of change (Belz & Peattie, 2009;Ramirez et al., 2013). In particular, cultural changes present the biggest challenge to marketers if sustainability values are not part of the operating philosophy and core ideology of the organization (Crittenden et al., 2011). Changing the ideology of the organization is a transformation change process that requires employees to be aware of sustainability issues beyond their work responsibilities (Haugh & Talwar, 2010). To make meaningful strides towards sustainability, there is a need to integrate green marketing principles in the vision, mission and core values of the organization (Crittenden et al., 2011). To cultivate a sustainability-oriented culture is usually a challenge in large organizations, owing to the existence of various sub-cultures that may negatively affect the commitment of employees to the achievement of sustainability goals (Linnenluecke & Griffiths, 2010). Gaining employee commitment to sustainability objectives may prove to be a challenge, especially if employees are highly unionized and when the business case for sustainability needs to be justified (Ramirez et al., 2013). To foster employee, buy-in, green marketing needs to be implemented in a manner that involves employee participation and empowerment to enhance internal legitimacy and co-ownership of green marketing objectives (Frandsen, Morsing &Vallentin, 2013).

Policing the value chain:
The greening of the supply chain is a strategic imperative for the achievement of green marketing objectives (Belz & Peattie, 2009). Increasingly, it is important for marketers to evaluate suppliers on the basis not only of lead times and cost but also of their commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of the environment (Kung et al., 2012). For instance, there is a need to know whether the products or raw materials were sourced ethically and fairly along the supply chain (Walker & Jones, 2012). The need to check the environmental credentials of value chain partners stems from the realization that the behavior of supply chain members may influence the reputation of the organization (Keating, Quazi, Kriz & Coltman, 2008). For instance, Nestlé's image was negatively affected by the practices of its key supplier of palm oil (Nothhaft & Akerstrom, 2012). In practice, it is difficult to develop effective tools to evaluate the performance of key members in the value chain (Walker & Jones, 2012). Although it is important to track the environmental performance of suppliers, the main challenges include the development of an integrated sustainable supply chain tracking system, gathering data on the performance of suppliers, pressure to reduce operating costs and screening of potential suppliers (Keating et al., 2008). The development of a green supply chain management monitoring system is a challenge because of problems in maintaining the environmental awareness of suppliers, complexities in measuring and monitoring the environmental practices of suppliers and the lack of effective environmental measures (Mathiyazhagan, Govindan, Noorulhaq & Geng, 2013).
Although environmental assessment strategies such as carbon management, analysis of carbon and energy footprint and lifecycle analysis are useful in measuring the environmental performance of companies, they are usually too complex (Nidumolu, Prahalad & Rangaswami, 2009). As a result, the sustainability performance of an organization depends largely on the activities of independent stakeholders of the organization that are beyond the control of marketers, such as the actions of investors, suppliers and competitors (Belz & Peattie, 2009). Hoejmose, Grosvold and Millington (2013), for instance, are of the opinion that the unevenness of the bargaining power among buyers and suppliers tends to limit the extent to which marketers influence suppliers to comply with sustainability principles. However, marketers need to understand that green marketing implementation challenges are not insurmountable. A well-articulated green strategy supported by a green corporate culture, green marketing core competencies and ideal competitive conditions is central to the achievement of sustainability objectives (Baverstam & Larsson, 2009). It is also important to note that green marketing challenges tend to vary by industry and early adopters of green marketing have the potential to create sustainable competitive advantage (Rakhsha & Majidazar, 2011). To be effective, green marketing needs to be supported by appropriate organization structures, systems and policies (Epstein & Buhovac, 2010). The achievement of green marketing objectives requires a systems approach in the implementation process, whereby all organizational functions, such as accounting, operations management and human resource management, are integrated into the overall corporate sustainability strategy (Belz & Peattie, 2009).

Future Prospects of Green Marketing:
There is general consensus that green marketing is increasingly becoming a viable strategy to address the scourge of climate change (Rahbar & Wahid, 2011;Ramirez et al., 2013). With sustainability emerging as the dominating theme in the twenty-first century, green marketing is expected to continue to influence marketing strategy and practice in the long term (Ottman, 2011;Young et al., 2010). At corporate level, it is predicted that companies will initiate global green marketing strategies in order to expand their markets, increase market share and take advantage of the positive image of their initial successful green brands (Young et al., 2010). For emerging markets such as China, Brazil, South Africa and India, among others, the adoption and implementation of green marketing will enable them to integrate their budding economies into the mainstream global economy (Nkamnebe, 2011). It is also envisaged that global warming, climate change and the trend towards green consumerism will continue to spur interest in environmentalism and direct efforts towards the harmonization of green marketing practices (Lee et al.,2013;Ottman, 2011). Foreseeing the potential growth of green marketing, marketers are investing in long-term green marketing initiatives to capacitate them to provide innovative green products (Smith & Perks, 2010). With the expected growth in demand for green products (Chen, 2008;Mazar & Zhong, 2010;Lin, Tan & Geng, 2013), marketers are re-positioning their marketing strategies to tap into the green market by seeking to understand the factors that influence the purchase of green products (Rahbar & Wahid, 2011).
It is also anticipated that the concept of green marketing will change the future outlook of global economic systems, with the transition towards green economies an expected megatrend (Belz & Peattie, 2009). The United Nations Environmental program (UNEP) (2011) defined a green economy as one that results in improved economic growth and socially equity while significantly reducing environmental risks. Green economies are expected to stimulate economic growth through the creation of green jobs and to shift the global economy towards ecological balance (Belz & Peattie, 2009). With calamities induced by climate change projected to account for 500 000 deaths and $340 billion in damages globally by 2030, the green market is expected to grow, mature and influence the rules of exchange in the marketplace (Ottman, 2011). The forecasted trends in population growth, poverty and climate change all point to the relevance of green marketing in the long term (Belz & Peattie, 2009). Overall, it is expected that green marketing will continue to be relevant in the coming decades as a result of the factors presented in Table 2. Health remains a key indicator of the quality of life and the demand for organic food is expected to grow.

Ecosystems damage
Increasing environmental degradation, if not addressed, will affect the welfare of future generations. Food shortages Climate change may reduce developing countries' food production by 16 percent, resulting in food shortages pushing up global food prices. Fuel prices Depletion of fossil fuels will limit economic growth. Source: Belz and Peattie (2009).

Conclusion
Literature reviewed defined green marketing as a broad marketing concept that involves the production, marketing, consumption and disposal of products in a way that is less harmful to the natural environment. The overriding premise towards the adoption of green marketing is to enhance customer satisfaction in a manner that safeguards the well-being of the natural environment. The main drivers that explain why companies embrace green marketing practices include compliance with environmental laws, the desire to create sustainable competitive advantage, fulfilment of corporate social responsibility imperatives, pressure from environmental activists and green consumerism. Literature reviewed also emphasized that green marketing should not be construed as only not limited to environmental protection but rather as also an integral element of the marketing strategy. Literature reviewed also notes that the adoption of green marketing is costly in the short term due to variation in demand of green products, consumer skepticism towards green products, and exorbitant initial capital investment required for n green technology, research and development. However, literature reviewed acknowledges that, in the long term, green marketing may prove to be a viable strategy as it enhances corporate image, reduces wastage, increases market share and often results in improved financial performance. Top management commitment, stakeholder involvement, communication, supportive organizational structure and a systems approach are identified as critical success factors in green marketing implementation. Literature reviewed also notes that in its holistic application, green marketing is a broad macro-marketing concept with important implications for all activities of the value chain, including procurement, production, marketing and consumption. To sustain competitive advantage, literature reviewed emphasized the need by marketers to deliver products with tangible environmental benefits, understand the drivers of green purchase behavior and adopt a transformative approach in green marketing implementation. The relevance of green marketing in emerging markets can be enhanced by adopting transformative green marketing strategies that enhance the well-being of the natural environment and key stakeholders in the value chain such as suppliers, manufacturers and consumers. Overall, although this study identified challenges that impede the implementation of green marketing, there is still more research efforts needed to find ways of addressing such challenges.