Willingness to pay for flying carbon neutral in Australia: an exploratory study of offsetter profiles

Abstract

Although voluntary carbon offsets have played a key role in the response to addressing climate change in the aviation sector, little is known about consumer preferences for such offsets and their offsetting behaviour in Australia. This paper developed and applied a choice modelling study to measure the economic values of aviation carbon mitigation and to identify major factors influencing air travellers’ voluntary climate action. Results show that respondents have a mean willingness to pay (WTP) of AU$21.38 per tonne of CO₂ reduced in the form of voluntary carbon offsets per person. Female travellers might have a higher economic value of carbon mitigation than male counterparts while climate sceptics who are less likely to be carbon offsetters might in fact hold a higher WTP value than non-sceptical travellers. The findings suggest that in terms of WTP the best profile of offset projects might be renewable energy projects in developing countries, of which resulting carbon credits can reduce company legal liabilities. Positive support was found for mitigation measures by airlines, with technological efficiencies more strongly supported than operational practices and biofuels. This paper challenges previous understandings of environmentally motivated behaviour, and notes that behaviour profiles are still evolving.

在澳大利亚对支付飞行碳中和的意愿：一个对权衡资料的探索性研究

尽管自愿碳补偿对在飞行行业中的气候变化扮演了一个重要的角色，对于在澳大利亚的消费者对补偿的喜好和他们的补偿行为的知识知道的却很多。该文章发展和应用了一个选择模型研究来衡量飞行中碳减轻的经济价值和来确认影响飞行旅行者自愿的气候行为的主要因素。结论显示回复者有平均支付意愿来通过自愿碳补偿的形式每人支付澳元每吨碳减少量。女性旅行者对碳减少可能比对应的男性有一个更高的以澳元的经济价值，而气候怀疑论者更少可能是碳补偿者，可能事实上比非怀疑论旅行者有一个更高的价值，澳元。结论建议关于最好的补偿项目资料可能是在发展中国家里的更新能量项目，这些导致碳信用并可以减少公司法律责任。航空公司的缓解措施是正面支持的一种，其中技术效率相比于运营实践和生物燃料来说更多支持。该文章挑战了之前对环保动机行为的理解，和记录行为资料仍然在演化。

Keywords:

• voluntary carbon offsets
• willingness to pay
• discrete choice modelling
• attitude–behaviour
• offsetter profiles
• climate change

关键词:

• 自愿碳补偿
• 支付意愿
• 离散选择模型
• 态度行为
• 补偿资料
• 气候改变

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andy S. Choi

Dr Andy S. Choi is an environmental economist and choice modeller at the University of Queensland's Business School. His research interests cut across environmental economics (non-market valuation), tourism studies (destination choices and heritage sites) and attitude–behaviour relationships. He was involved in several projects that investigated economic values of conserving cultural heritage sites in Australia and protected areas in South Korea. His current project investigates the relationship between climate policies and economic values of voluntary carbon mitigation, and examines evidence-based intervention strategies that deliver positive behavioural changes.

Brent W. Ritchie

Associate professor Brent W. Ritchie, of the University of Queensland's Business School, has coordinated several research projects for tourism organisations in the public and private sector in Australia, England and New Zealand. His research interests include tourist and visitor behaviour, tourism marketing (specifically niche marketing, crisis recovery marketing and event imaging and place marketing), tourism destination planning and development, and tourism crisis and disaster strategic planning/management. His research has influenced government policy and industry practice, and has been cited in parliamentary enquiries and national research development plans.