This study aims to explore individuals/households' preferences for Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) scheme design attributes and their influence on scheme acceptability. This research is based on the hypothesis that there exists a set of characteristics and variants that a PCT may take that are likely to have a significant influence in determining the public preference and acceptability for such a scheme. In order to test this hypothesis, a stated preference experiment was applied in which multi-attribute PCT scheme alternatives were compared. The price for the sale and purchase of carbon permits was set as the monetary attribute and is employed to calculate implicit prices for the remaining attributes. The application of discrete stated preference methods in this novel context represents the main contribution of this paper. The following scheme characteristics were hypothesized to have a significant influence on public preference and acceptability and were employed as attributes in the stated choice experiment: Permit allocation: the basis of allocation is likely to influence perceptions of fairness. Transactions: some indication of the level of effort required from individuals to manage their carbon and the hassle factor in transactions. Management of carbon accounts: to explore issues of trust. Permit sale andpurchase: Indicative prices for the sale and purchase of permits. Sale ofpermits: Attempts to address engagement with the market and an issue thathas emerged from qualitative research that some low emitters would ratherkeep or retire permits than let high emitters have them. Lifetime of permits: If individuals are risk averse they may wish to bank permits against future needs. Purchase limits: Some would favour as avoiding excess use ofcarbon at the high end of the distribution and possibly protecting against speculation, whilst others might see limits as an excessive constraint on their quality of life or freedom. Market operation: Price setting by Government or market, with or without cap. Scope of the scheme: coverage could include domestic energy, car use, air travel and public transport. The initial design and piloting of a paper based stated preference exercise examining design attributes of a PCT scheme was completed rapidly to allow the experiment to be included in a "Citizens Forum" event organised by the RSA in Cardiff. For the covering abstract see ITRD E145999
Samenvatting