Implementation of carbon taxes in Hong Kong: Level of intention and willingness to pay among undergraduate students in City University of Hong Kong

Abstract

Climate change causes discernible impacts to the world and Hong Kong suffers from the anticipated consequences inevitably. In this study, carbon taxes are strongly recommended for Hong Kong to address climate change. The study investigates the level of intention and willingness to pay for carbon taxes and the interrelations of those major determinants, among undergraduate students in City University of Hong Kong. The analytical framework is integrated by the theory of planned behavior of Ajzen, 1991 and the environmental communication analysis of Santi & Grenna, 2003. In this study, nearly 80% of the respondents are willing to pay for carbon tax to combat climate change. The mean percentage of income they are willing to pay for carbon tax is 6.333% and the mean extra payment they are willing to pay for carbon tax on a worth-one-hundred-dollar purchase of products is $6.84. Unaffordability and lacking of environmental policies are main barriers for the respondents to contribute to the environment. The results from this study also suggest that environmental education can play an important role in cultivating pro-environmental values, developing a sense of responsibility for protecting the environment, and forming environmentally friendly behaviors to bring about positive environmental results in society.