| dc.description.abstract | This thesis studies the valuation of an Arctic fjord ecosystem and possible distance decay effects, as well as attribute framing effects. MNL models are applied to stated preference data by Kipperberg and Aanesen (2020), focusing on an Arctic fjord ecosystem under the threat of mining tailings disposal in the fjord.
Empirical insights: i) Participants state a significant positive willingness-to-pay for environmental conservation; ii) participants living closer to the valued good had higher status quo preferences, i.e. less preference for environmental conservation; and iii) distance decay does not apply homogenously to the ecosystem’s use value, while the non-use value partly shows the opposite of the distance decay effect. Despite the limited generalizability, these insights can inform future cost-benefit analyses.
Conceptual insights: iv) Participants assign different value to the same good if described to imply either use or non-use value. Notably, these results might be noisy due to the experimental design but provide a starting point for follow-up research. v) The treatment of one attribute can significantly affect the valuation of another attribute. This cross-attribute effect is crucial to consider in future experimental designs and the interpretation of valuation results. | |