Willingness to pay for the renewable energy sources of the residents of Kraków and their perception of the actions aimed at reducing the level of environmental pollution

Abstract

Implementing energy transformation through the goal of the more extensive use of renewable energy sources is one of the key tasks on the road to slowing adverse climate change. The pace of this transformation is dependent on both the political decisions and social support for the implemented changes. The indicator of the aforementioned support is the Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy Sources (WTP) declared by residents. The increase of the WTP value influences a more rapid and wider substitution of non-renewable energy sources with renewable energy sources. The goal of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the WTP indicator on the example of residents of Kraków and their perception of the actions aimed at reducing the level of environmental pollution. Research is based on a survey performed on a representative sample of 393 residents of Kraków, Poland. In the surveyed group of residents, the average monthly willingness to pay more for renewable energy was PLN 83.7, i.e. approx. USD 21.47. The WTP differs in a statistically significant manner depending on the type of housing in which the respondents reside. On average, the residents