The Impact of Environmental Recall and Carbon Taxation on the Carbon Footprint of Supermarket Shopping

62 Pages Posted: 14 Nov 2017

See all articles by Luca A. Panzone

Luca A. Panzone

University of Newcastle

Alistair Ulph

The University of Manchester - Faculty of Humanities

Daniel John Zizzo

University of Queensland - School of Economics

Denis Hilton

University of Toulouse

Adrian Clear

University of Newcastle - School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (SAFRD)

Date Written: November 9, 2017

Abstract

This study uses an incentive-compatible experimental online supermarket to assess whether prior environmentally-friendly behaviour outside the store, and whether carbon taxes motivate sustainable consumption. Previous research suggests that past decisions may influence current decisions, for example because consumers compensate morally desirable and undesirable acts (e.g. high-carbon food baskets may follow past environmentally-friendly behaviours) over time; while carbon taxes have been promoted as effective tools to reduce the carbon footprint of food baskets, despite limited empirical evidence. After controlling for past consumption, results show that being required to recall past environmentally-friendly behaviour before shopping led consumers to purchase more sustainable food baskets. Carbon taxation also strongly reduces the carbon footprint of food baskets, showing no interaction with the recall of past behaviours.

Keywords: sustainable consumption; moral licensing; priming; carbon footprint; carbon tax

JEL Classification: C91, D03, D12, Q01, Q58

Suggested Citation

Panzone, Luca A. and Ulph, Alistair M. and Zizzo, Daniel John and Hilton, Denis and Clear, Adrian, The Impact of Environmental Recall and Carbon Taxation on the Carbon Footprint of Supermarket Shopping (November 9, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3068222 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3068222

Luca A. Panzone (Contact Author)

University of Newcastle ( email )

5 Barrack Road
Devonshire Building
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, 2308 NE1 7RU
United Kingdom

Alistair M. Ulph

The University of Manchester - Faculty of Humanities ( email )

Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Daniel John Zizzo

University of Queensland - School of Economics ( email )

St Lucia
Brisbane, Queensland 4072
Australia

Denis Hilton

University of Toulouse ( email )

41 Allées Jules Guesde - CS 61321
TOULOUSE
France

Adrian Clear

University of Newcastle - School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (SAFRD) ( email )

Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 7RU
United Kingdom

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