Policy- v. Individual Heterogeneity in the Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation: Evidence from a Stated-Preference Survey

Anna Alberini, Milan Ščasný () and Andrea Bigano
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Anna Alberini: University of Maryland, FEEM and Centre for Energy Policy and Economics, ETH Zürich

No 2016.80, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: The implementation of decarbonization policies depends crucially on the public’s willingness to pay for them. We use stated preference methods to investigate the public’s preferences for such policies. We ask three research questions. First, does the willingness to pay (WTP) for each ton of CO2 emissions reductions depend on the policies and on individual characteristics of the respondents? Second, how extensive is the variation associated with these factors? Third, what factors affect support for or opposition to a carbon tax? Based on the responses to discrete choice experiments from a sample of Italians, we find that the WTP per ton of CO2 ranges between € 6 and 130, depending on whether the public program is based on taxes, incentives, information-based approaches or standards. Further allowing for individual characteristics of the respondents, such as gender or education, and knowledge of climate change, results in a 300% change in WTP, holding the policy instrument the same. We conclude that the variation associated with the policy instrument is approximately of the same order of magnitude as that associated with individual characteristics of the respondents.

Keywords: Climate Change Mitigation; WTP per ton of CO2 Emissions Reduced; Choice Experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q41 Q48 Q51 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dcm, nep-ene and nep-env
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Policy- v. individual heterogeneity in the benefits of climate change mitigation: Evidence from a stated-preference survey (2018)
Working Paper: Policy- v. Individual Heterogeneity in the Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation: Evidence from a Stated-Preference Survey (2016)
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