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Willingness-to-pay for precautionary control of microplastics, a comparison of hybrid choice models

King, Peter (2022) Willingness-to-pay for precautionary control of microplastics, a comparison of hybrid choice models. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy, 12 (4). pp. 379-402. ISSN 2160-6544. E-ISSN 2160-6552. (doi:10.1080/21606544.2022.2146757) (KAR id:98347)

Abstract

What are people willing to pay to reduce the uncertainty about the effects of microplastics? We examine this question in two ways. Firstly, using two contingent valuation questions, we elicit willingness to pay (WTP) to (a) reduce uncertainty about the potential adverse consequences of microplastic pollution, and (b) to reduce the release of microplastics to the marine environment. WTP was elicited from a representative sample of UK adults in 2020. Comparing WTP for these two scenarios suggests that respondents prefer resolving irreversibility over resolving uncertainty. Secondly, we use a hybrid choice model to show that latent precautionary attitudes exert a strong positive effect on WTP. Overall, respondents indicated a preference for resolving the uncertainty about microplastics by implementing abatement measures immediately. Given that policymakers are increasingly concerned about the potential for adverse environmental and health effects of microplastics in the marine environment, this paper suggests that the precautionary principle has strong support at the respondent level.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/21606544.2022.2146757
Uncontrolled keywords: precaution, hybrid choice models, willingness-to-pay, microplastics
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Funders: University of Bath (https://ror.org/002h8g185)
Environment Agency (https://ror.org/01zewfb16)
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Depositing User: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 28 Nov 2022 12:45 UTC
Last Modified: 05 Nov 2024 13:03 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/98347 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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