Investing in Climate Change Adaptation: Motivations and Green Incentives in the Fiji Islands

Abstract

We investigate the interplay between individual's intrinsic motivation and green incentives on stated climate change adaptive behavior. Using experimental and survey data in the Fiji Islands, we find that intrinsic motivations favoring pro-environmental [beliefs] positively influence the intention to adapt. Moreover we find that green incentives crowd-in intrinsic pro-environmental motivations and further facilitate the uptake of adaptive investments. Demographic factors of ethnicity, occupation, participation in and access to credit also influence cognitive and behavioral constructs to varying degrees.