Willingness to Pay for Nature Protection: Crowdfunding as a Payment Mechanism

Maria A. Cunha-e-Sá, Til Dietrich, Ana Faria, Luis Nunes, Margarida Ortigão (margarida.ortigao@novasbe.pt), Renato Rosa and Carina Vieira-da-Silva
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Maria A. Cunha-e-Sá: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Til Dietrich: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Ana Faria: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Margarida Ortigão: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Renato Rosa: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Carina Vieira-da-Silva: Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Lisboa

Environmental & Resource Economics, 2025, vol. 88, issue 2, No 4, 367-396

Abstract: Abstract In this study, we use a discrete choice experiment to elicit the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for preventing and mitigating the effects of oil spills on marine and coastal ecosystem services, along a particularly vulnerable coastal region of mainland Portugal. We used a split-sample design to analyze the differences between two payment vehicles (PV): a mandatory extra income tax and a voluntary contribution collected by a crowdfunding campaign with a provision point mechanism and a money-back guarantee. The difference between the two PVs is examined in a setting where the local population has a negative perception of the quality of institutions. We find that respondents are more willing to contribute when presented with the crowdfunding version. Also, regardless of the payment vehicle, respondents who express a mistrust in institutions are more likely to choose the status quo. These results suggest the potential of using crowdfunding to support ecosystem services’ conservation initiatives.

Keywords: Crowdfunding; Environmental protection; Discrete choice experiment; Payment vehicle; Perceived quality of institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H23 O35 Q01 Q51 Q53 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10640-024-00933-3

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