Expanding the use of eco-labeled wood flooring in China is an important step in achieving the country's sustainable development goals. For a deep understanding of the relationship between the knowledge of the eco-label and consumer preferences for certified wood flooring in China, this study assessed consumers' purchase intention (PI) and price premium (PP) for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)- and China Environmental Labeling (CEL)-labeled wood flooring versus nonlabeled wood flooring. A total of 367 face-to-face interviews were conducted at building material markets in Chongqing City with visitors planning to purchase wood flooring in March 2018. The results showed, first, that 21 percent of respondents knew the FSC label, and 65 percent of respondents intended to buy FSC-labeled wood flooring with a PP of 41 CNY/m2. Second, 46 percent of respondents knew the CEL label, and 81 percent of respondents intended to buy CEL-labeled wood flooring with a PP of 48 CNY/m2. Third, the knowledge of the FSC label positively affected consumers' PI and PP, but the knowledge of the CEL label only influenced PI for certified wood flooring. This study showed that the eco-label knowledge played a main role in consumer preferences for certified wood products and suggested that different strategies should be considered in promoting FSC- and CEL-labeled wood products in the Chongqing market.
Facing potential coastal disasters such as storm surges, storm waves, and tsunamis, Japan has planned the construction of coastal structures such as seawalls or breakwaters along its coastal areas. However, some conflicts exist among the public whether such constructions should be undertaken or whether the natural coast should be conserved. This study uses a choice experiment to investigate opinions of coastal citizens about (1) the acceptable loss of coastal wildlife species as a tradeoff for seawalls; (2) the willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation of coastal wildlife as a compromise for disaster risk reduction; (3) the influence on popular preferences in coastal management of individual characteristics, such as frequency of visiting the sea and public recognition of disaster risk; and (4) civil trust in scientific information. The survey was conducted among 7496 respondents in municipalities around the Japanese coast. As a result, the acceptable loss of coastal wildlife species was 18.7 %. The marginal WTP for conserving the coastal wildlife was 680.95 JPY per percent in the number of species per capita. We found that people who frequently visit the sea preferred ecosystem conservation and disliked seawall construction, whereas people strongly recognizing disaster risks preferred seawall construction. Furthermore, we found that civil trust in scientific information affects civil preferences regarding coastal management. Our study indicates the need to reduce negative effects of coastal constructions on coastal ecosystems and to consider other options, such as ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction. It also indicates the social influences of raising
123Nat Hazards (2016) 82:209-226 DOI 10.1007/s11069-016-2210 public trust in scientific information to enable citizens to make better decisions regarding coastal management.
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