Behavioral sources of the demand for carbon offsets: an experimental study
通过实验室实验，研究了个人购买碳抵消的行为动机，发现低价时需求稳定，但行为因人而异；高个人责任感者随自身损害增加购买，低责任感者则随总损害增加购买；碳抵消的引入未影响总损害，但提高了个人收益。
Abstract Voluntary carbon markets present firms and individuals with the opportunity to offset all or part of their carbon footprints. We report on a controlled laboratory experiment to understand the behavioral motivations driving the purchase of carbon offsets, in addition to investigating the effect of the introduction of voluntary carbon markets on emission-causing activities. We find a stable demand for offsets when the price is sufficiently low. Behavior is, however, heterogeneous. Individuals with a high (low) personal-responsibility index increase their offset purchases as their own damage (total damages) increases, but do not condition their offsetting behavior on the total damages (own damage) generated. We also show that, when individuals trade in competitive markets, the availability of offsets does not affect the total damages generated. Introduction of carbon offsets increases individuals’ earnings by eliminating some of the damages ex-post, but does not increase economic efficiency.