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The role of co-benefits in motivating climate change mitigation – Experimental evidence

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  • Feldhaus, Christoph
  • Gleue, Marvin
  • Löschel, Andreas
  • Werner, Peter

Abstract

We study the role of co-benefits – positive effects of climate change mitigation projects in addition to CO2 reduction – in motivating individuals to donate to such projects. In two artefactual field experiments conducted with large population samples (n = 2400 in total), we test how the existence and specific nature of co-benefits affect donations. In both experiments, we find that co-benefits have a positive impact on participants' willingness to donate. Moreover, our second experiment shows that contributions respond to the nature of co-benefits, and these responses seem to be driven by individuals' preferences for specific types of co-benefits. We further observe that co-benefits also increase donations when making carbon footprints and thus individual responsibility for environmental externalities more salient. In sum, our study provides a comprehensive picture of the potential of co-benefits for increasing donations to climate change mitigation projects and has several implications for the provision of co-benefits information in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Feldhaus, Christoph & Gleue, Marvin & Löschel, Andreas & Werner, Peter, 2026. "The role of co-benefits in motivating climate change mitigation – Experimental evidence," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:239:y:2026:i:c:s0921800925002666
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108783
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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