The Demand for Voluntary Carbon Dioxide Removal: Experimental Evidence from an Afforestation Project in Germany

Abstract

This study explores individual willingness to pay (WTP) for carbon removal through afforestation as a complementary climate change mitigation strategy. Using a framed-field experiment, we assess the impact of local co-benefits and geographic location on WTP. We find that participants strongly favor voluntary climate change mitigation through forestry-based emission removal. Emphasizing co-benefits does not significantly alter WTP in our municipal tree-planting project. A follow-up survey indicates a high awareness of co-benefits, suggesting that unobserved priors may influence WTP results. Trust levels are higher for forestry-based removal than for established market-based carbon avoidance, suggesting preferences for understandable mitigation measures with tangible co-benefits.