Household acceptability of energy efficiency policies in the European Union:Policy characteristics trade-offs and the role of trust in government and environmental identity

This research investigates the acceptability of energy efficiency policies among European households. Based on large-scale surveys in Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK, we use a discrete choice experiment to study the trade-offs made by households between various policy characteristics including policy target level, dependence on energy imports, policy instruments (education and information programmes, standards, taxation, energy consumption limit), costs to the household, and distribution of costs between households and other sectors. In particular, we investigate the role of trust in government and of environmental identity on the acceptability of these policy characteristics. Across the four countries, we find that households prefer effective policies, dislike personal costs, and prefer non-coercive to coercive instruments; further, trust in government helps make coercive policies such as taxes more acceptable, whereas higher environmental identity makes consumption limits more acceptable.</p

The effect of experience on choosing where to go: an application to a choice experiment on forest recreation

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of experience on the choice of visits to forests in a stated discrete choice experiment. Recent literature has indicated that experiences with the environmental services valuated may increase the respondents' certainty in their choice of hypothetical alternatives. We apply two indicators of experiences: the number of visits and the number of different forests visited during the last year. Applying the generalized multinomial logit model, we find that an increase in the number of visits to forests makes respondents' choices more predictable. However, the number of different forests visited reduces the predictability of choices. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between respondents' experience of forest recreation and the self-reported choice certainty, controlling for respondents' social-demographics and other design characteristics. Finally, we show that self-reported choice certainty is positive correlated with the scale factor, as expected

Estimating the Impact of Relative Financial Circumstances in Childhood on Adult Mental Wellbeing:a Mediation Analysis

Previous research has indicated that the role of childhood circumstances on adult mental health is primarily mediated through adult socioeconomic circumstances. Using linear regression models and mediation analysis this paper examines whether childhood financial circumstances is associated with adult mental wellbeing and to what extent any association is explained by adult financial circumstances. Adjusting for age and highest education attainment, we found that childhood financial circumstances predict wellbeing in adulthood. However, stratifying by age (respondents aged 18–40, 41–65 and 66 years plus), a more complicated pattern of associations emerged with potential cohort and age effects emerging. Only adult financial circumstances significantly impact adult wellbeing in our youngest group, while neither childhood nor adult financial circumstances are significantly associated with wellbeing in the oldest age group (66 years plus). However, both childhood and adult financial circumstances were significantly associated with wellbeing in middle age, and this effect was mostly direct (OR-1.09: CI 95%: -1.63, -0.17) rather than indirect (OR-0.08: CI 95%: -0.17, -0.01). This research adds to the evidence base that childhood is a critical period for wellbeing in middle age (41–65 years). Previous research has found that subjective wellbeing plays an important role in physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. The impact of financial hardship in childhood on wellbeing in adulthood found in this study is particularly concerning as levels of child poverty increase in the UK.</p

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a biodiversity conservation policy: A bio-econometric analysis of Natura 2000 contracts in forest

In France, the implementation of the EU biodiversity conservation policy within the Natura 2000 network combines regulatory tools and voluntary contracting. In this article, we empirically assess the cost-effectiveness of Natura 2000 contracts in forest areas. We simultaneously estimate a cost function for biodiversity conservation and the production set of biodiversity output and timber, while controlling for conservation measures. We show strong substitutability between biodiversity conservation and timber production. Estimate results on the cost-elasticity of biodiversity conservation also suggest the possibility of more ecologically ambitious contracts with lower average costs. Results also show that public owners are able to bear higher opportunity costs than private owners. Our findings may help to formulate policy recommendations in terms of contracts' targeting, likely to enhance the cost-effectiveness of the incentive scheme

Conveyance and the moderating effect of envy on homeowners’ choice of appliances

Conveyance, i.e., the fact that an appliance purchased will be left in the dwelling when moving out, may lead homeowners to purchase appliances of lower quality or performance, because the extra costs are not entirely capitalized into the house sales price. Employing a discrete choice experiment with homeown-ers in the United States, this paper explores the effects of conveyance on homeowners’ willingness-to-pay for various attributes of refrigerators. To ac-count for the social nature of purchases when conveyance is likely to occur, it also tests the moderating role of envy (elicited through an incentivized game). The findings suggest that conveyors are more likely to purchase a smaller re-frigerator, from a less well-known brand, and with lower customer ratings. In contrast, conveyance was not found to affect homeowners' choices when it comes to energy cost. In addition, envy was found to generally reinforce the negative effects of conveyance on homeowners' willingness-to-pay for quality and performance attributes. While conveyance and its interaction with envy help explain homeowners' choice of quality/performance attributes of applianc-es, these factors do not appear to explain the energy efficiency paradox

Are households' residential preferences consistent with biodiversity potential of different urban contexts?

National audienc

Are households’ residential preferences consistent with biodiversity conservation in different urban contexts?

International audienceThis article combines stated preference methods and graph-based landscape approaches to assess the possible synergy existing between households’ residential preferences and biodiversity conservation in urban areas. We start by estimating household’s residential preferences regarding different landscape attributes (i.e. green spaces and compactness of the neighbourhood) of chosen urban contexts applying the choice experiment method. Then, by integrating ecological indicators obtained by using a graph-based approach in our valuation model, we study the impact of the residential choice on biodiversity conservation. Our results suggest that the preferred neighbourhood also have landscape structure that are in favour of biodiversity conservation. The preference heterogeneity for green spaces and compactness will induce landscape-based sorting. Household’s residential location choices affect biodiversity conservation differently which depend on their socio-demographic characteristics

Digital competence and psychological wellbeing in a social housing community: a repeated survey study

BackgroundLittle is known about whether digital competence is related to psychological wellbeing, with most previous research focusing on students and elderly people. There is also limited evidence on seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing, particularly in specific groups. Social housing residents are an underserved and under-researched population. The objectives of this study were to explore associations between digital competence (assessed by general technology self-efficacy) and psychological wellbeing (assessed by mental wellbeing and life satisfaction), and to explore seasonal effects, in social housing residents. MethodsA repeated survey design was used. The Happiness Pulse questionnaire with a bespoke digital module was sent via post or e-mail at four timepoints between July 2021 and July 2022 to 167 social housing residents in West Cornwall, England. There were 110 respondents in total; thirty completed all four questionnaires and 59 completed an autumn/winter and summer questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential methods including regression, repeated measures analysis of variance and panel analysis. ResultsSignificant positive associations were found between digital self-efficacy and mental wellbeing, and between digital self-efficacy and life satisfaction. However, there were no significant seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing. ConclusionsThe findings extend the existing literature beyond student and elderly populations and suggest that improving digital competence is a potential pathway to improving psychological wellbeing. Surveys with larger samples and qualitative studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved