Willingness to pay for sustainability – the interplay between voluntary actions and forced choices

The study examines the willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability among alpine skiers by contrasting voluntary actions, like CO₂ compensation, with mandatory measures, such as required public transportation. Key findings include: Positive WTP for Voluntary Sustainability Measures: Offering a climate-neutral season pass that offsets CO₂ emissions led to a higher WTP. On average, skiers were willing to pay an additional 108 NOK for this option. Negative WTP for Compulsory Measures: Conversely, requiring skiers to use public transportation (a "ski bus") to access the resort significantly reduced WTP. Skiers were, on average, willing to pay 1,298 NOK less for a season pass under these conditions, indicating a preference for maintaining personal convenience and flexibility. Demographic Influence: Younger skiers showed higher WTP for both sustainability initiatives, while older skiers tended to value flexibility over enforced eco-friendly options. Travel Time Effect: The time taken to reach a resort affected the perceived utility of CO₂ compensation positively but had a diminishing effect on the utility of compulsory transportation, especially when public transport took considerably longer than driving. These findings suggest that customers in this context prefer sustainability initiatives that allow choice rather than those that restrict freedom. This preference for voluntary action over mandatory measures has implications for designing sustainable offerings in ways that align with customer values.