Financing net-zero: exploring public willingness to fund carbon offsets in Canada’s national parks

Abstract

In light of Canada’s 2050 carbon neutrality target, Parks Canada is implementing strategies to achieve net-zero emissions, with carbon offset projects in national parks playing a key role. This study examines visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for carbon offsets in Banff National Park, employing the extended theory of planned behavior to analyze the factors influencing WTP. Contingent valuation methods are used to estimate the price visitors are willing to pay, and results indicate that behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence WTP through behavioral intention. Additionally, time preference, defined as the tendency to prioritize short-term benefits over long-term ones, directly impacts WTP, while risk perception has no significant effect. On average, visitors who were willing to pay contributed 16.13 CAD (12.10 USD), which represents approximately 9% of their total spending. The total potential annual carbon offset would thus range from 3.50 to 8.63 million t CO₂e. Visitor refusal to pay stemmed from financial concerns, insufficient understanding of carbon offsets, difficulty accessing low-carbon options, and doubts about data accuracy, transparency, and institutional trustworthiness. These insights highlight the importance of improving information disclosure, enhancing visitor engagement, and strengthening the legitimacy of carbon offset initiatives within national parks.

Keywords

Carbon offsets / Theory of planned behavior / Willingness to pay / Visitor behavior / National parks / Net-zero emissions

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