How environmental beliefs influence the acceptance of reallocating government budgets to improving coastal water quality: a hybrid choice model

In this study we analyse how attitudes and beliefs concerning environmental protection influence choices in a stated preference survey on coastal water quality and marine habitat areas. Survey respondents were presented with a series of choice tasks featuring improvements in water clarity, reef health, seagrass area and a series of costs in the form of reallocated state budget against a status quo of no new improvements and no change in budget. The reallocated budget scenario was used as it is likely to be most consequential and realistic to respondents. Estimates of willingness to reallocate were obtained using a hybrid choice model which included the choice data, attitudinal data regarding support for environmental protection and socio-demographic characteristics. Our results suggest that attitudes supporting environmental protection influence affect the willingness to reallocate for attributes that change coastal water quality. A decision support tool for policy analysts was developed to illustrate how public support, as a probability of supporting reallocation, is shaped by beliefs and changes with socio-demographic characteristics.

TOCOCK Mark;  BORRIELLO Antonio;  TINCH Dugald;  ROSE John M.;  HATTON MACDONALD Darla; 

2024-01-31

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

JRC134802

1448-6563 (online),   

https://doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2023.2248090,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134802,   

10.1080/14486563.2023.2248090 (online),