The effects of institutions and cultures on people's willingness to pay for climate change policies: A meta-regression analysis

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of institutions and cultures on people's willingness to pay (WTP) for climate change policies by conducting a meta-regression analysis of 1501 WTP estimates retrieved from 224 studies conducted in 47 countries. The objective of this paper is to examine the influence of institutions and cultures, as well as other important factors, on WTP for combating climate change. The findings indicate that people in less-corrupt countries are more willing to contribute to tackling climate change, while societies that are characterised by greater indulgence and uncertainty avoidance extend less support towards mitigation and adaptation efforts. The types of climate change policies also appear to matter. Compared to the green electricity policy, WTP is higher for specific GHG reduction and energy-efficient vehicle policies and lower for agricultural adaptation policies. Policies directed towards latitudinal positions have a negative effect on WTP. These results imply that institutions and cultures are crucial in promoting the public acceptance of climate change policies.