Double-edged impacts of carbon footprint information on international air travel demand

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of providing carbon footprint information on long-haul international air travel demand. By combining the doubly randomized preference trial (DRPT) and randomized conjoint experiment, the paper examines how targeted information influences consumers’ purchasing decisions. The primary data is obtained from an online survey conducted in Japan with 3261 respondents. The results show that providing carbon footprint information significantly affects consumers’ choices, particularly those with higher environmental awareness. The provision of carbon footprint information increases the purchasing probability of environmentally conscious consumers by 12.3% over mileage accrual rate information. Moreover, when carbon emissions increase by 50%, respondents with higher environmental concerns are 17% less likely to make a purchase compared to those who do not prioritize environmental factors. This study holds implications for designing effective environmental awareness campaigns in the transport sector to encourage sustainable consumer choices.