How Green is Household Behaviour?

Annex A. OECD EPIC Survey background

Stated preference approaches

The EPIC Survey relies on a stated preference empirical approach to data collection. As opposed to revealed preference approaches, which make use of data on observed behaviours, stated preference approaches use data gathered by asking individuals to either report their actual behaviour, or report how they would behave in a given hypothetical situation. There are advantages and drawbacks to both revealed and stated preference approaches (OECD, 2018[1]). Although revealed preference approaches have high reliability and validity because they reflect the real-world constraints faced by individuals, this also constitutes a limitation insofar as analyses are limited to addressing only those choices and conditions that are available in real-world contexts. The main challenges of stated preference approaches, on the other hand, include response bias and sample representativeness.

Generally speaking, limitations of analyses based on survey data arise from the extent to which reported responses may differ from actual behaviours (i.e. hypothetical bias) as well as the extent to which the characteristics of survey respondents may diverge from those of the actual population. Hypothetical bias is a well-known issue in stated preference methods and a number of strategies have been employed to mitigate it, including informing respondents that their responses will be used to help develop public policies, and informing them about hypothetical bias and encouraging them to reflect on their choices carefully in light of this tendency. A number of ex-ante and ex-post strategies pertaining to survey design and statistical methods, respectively, can also be used to mitigate other biases (e.g. anchoring, order effects).

Despite the challenges identified above, stated preference approaches offer a number of significant advantages over revealed preference approaches when it comes to ex-ante policy evaluation (OECD, 2018[1]). Discrete choice experiments, for example, are well-suited to analysing choice in the context of relatively complex, multi-dimensional issues (Bateman et al., 2002[2]; OECD, 2018[1]). Flexibility to define decision scenarios allows for an evaluation of the impact of hypothetical policy interventions. Stated preference approaches also generate valuations of changes in health status and environmental quality that provide critical input into cost-benefit analyses.

Development of the survey was guided by a Steering Committee comprised of WPIEEP Delegates who provided input regarding policy issues of interest and relevant contextual considerations in their respective countries. A Scientific Advisory Committee of methodological and thematic area experts provided input regarding methodological best practice in survey design in light of the analytical objectives of the work. Finally an internal coordination group involving the IEA, ITF, and TAD also provided policy and technical feedback during the development of the survey instrument.

Survey questionnaire

PART A – SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

To start with, we want to learn a few things about you and your household.

1. What is your date of birth?

2. Do you have full or partial responsibility for any household purchases (e.g. utilities, groceries, vehicle purchases)?

1. Yes

2. No >> screen out

3. What is your biological sex?

1. Male

2. Female

3. Intersex

4. Prefer not to say

4. What gender do you identify as?

1. Man

2. Woman

3. Other

4. Prefer not to say

SCREEN:

In this survey, we often refer to households. Please note that we define a household as including one or several persons (family or non-family members) living in the same residence on a regular basis and sharing all or part of their living expenses (e.g. utilities, groceries).

Unless stated otherwise, please answer each question as it pertains to your current situation and behavior.

Remember that your answers to all questions in this survey are confidential.

5. Which of these ranges best reflects the approximate combined current monthly income of everyone in the household, after tax? Please include income from all sources, including wages, government pensions, benefits and investments.

1. Less than EUR 1 450

2. Between EUR 1 450 – 1 899

3. Between EUR 1 900 – 2 399

4. Between EUR 2 400 – 3 049

5. EUR 3 050 or more

6. Don’t know

7. Prefer not to answer

6. How would you best describe the area in which you live?

1. Major town/city

2. Suburban (fringes of a major town/city)

3. Small town or village

4. Isolated dwelling (not in a town or village)

5. Other

7. How would you define your status in your current primary residence?

1. Living in a residence owned by yourself or your household

2. Living in a residence rented by yourself or your household

3. Living in another type of accommodation, e.g. university dormitory, army base, retirement home

8. How would you describe your primary residence?

1. An apartment in a building with less than 12 apartments in total

2. An apartment in a building with 12 or more apartments

3. A detached house

4. A semi-detached/terraced house

5. Other

9. What is the size of your primary residence? (Please estimate)

1. Less than 25 m² (Less than 270 ft²)

2. 25 m² –50 m² (270 ft² - 540 ft²)

3. 51 m²–75 m² (541 ft² - 807 ft²)

4. 76 m²–100 m² (808 ft² - 1070 ft²)

5. 101 m²–150 m² (1071 ft² - 1610 ft²)

6. 151 m²–200 m² (1611 ft² - 2150 ft²)

7. More than 200 m² (More than 2150 ft²)

8. Don’t know

10. Do you have access to a garden or outdoor space in your primary residence (can be private or shared)?

1. Yes

2. No

11. How would you define your current household situation?

1. Married or living as a couple (with or without children)

2. Living with parents or other relatives

3. Living alone

4. Living as a single parent

5. Sharing a house/flat with non-family members

6. Other

12. How many adults of 18 years old or more (including yourself) usually live in your household?

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4

5. 5 or more

13. How many children/minors in the following age ranges usually live in your household?

 

Age range	Number of children in household (drop down menu)
0-4	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5+
5-8	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5+
9-14	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5+
15-17	0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5+

14. What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

1. No formal education/Some primary school

2. High school diploma (including apprenticeship or technical diplomas)

3. Some post-secondary education

4. Bachelor’s degree (BA, BS)

5. Post graduate degree (Master, PhD or equivalent)

6. Other

15. What is your current employment status? Note: Temporary leave can refer to furlough, sick leave, or parental leave.

1. Self-employed

2. Full time employee (employed or on temporary leave)

3. Part time employee (employed or on temporary leave)

4. Retired

5. Homemaker – househusband/wife

6. Seeking a job/unemployed

7. Student

8. Unable to work, e.g. disability

9. Other

16. In what sector are you employed (or were you last employed)?

1. Administration/Government

2. Leisure and hospitality

3. Economics/Finance/Insurance

4. Agriculture, fisheries or forestry

5. Transportation

6. Manufacturing/Construction

7. Information technologies and communication

8. Education/Research

9. Health/Social services

10. Wholesale or retail trade

11. Justice

12. Other sector

13. Not applicable/I have never been employed

17. How often do you feel worried about not being able to live on your household’s current income?

1. Never

2. Once every few months

3. Once a month

4. Once a week

5. Every day

6. Prefer not to say

18. Have you or someone in your household experienced a significant change in income (+/- 20%) at any point in the past two years? Please consider income from all sources, including wages, government pensions and benefits and investments.

1. Yes, for reasons related to the Covid-19 pandemic

2. Yes, for reasons unrelated to the Covid-19 pandemic

3. No

4. I don’t know

5. Prefer not to say

[ IF Q19 == 1 OR Q19 == 2]

19. How much did your household’s income change? Please take into account any unemployment compensation or Covid-related support you may have received.

 

-100% (Complete loss)	No change	>100% (More than doubled)	Don’t know	Prefer not to say
|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|			□	□

20. Please indicate approximately how often you telework for your current job. Teleworking refers to working from home while communicating with your office by phone, email, or using the internet.

 

	Never	1-3 days per month	1 day per week	2 days per week	3 days per week	4-5 days per week	6-7 days per week
Before the Covid-19 pandemic (prior to March 2020)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
During the period(s) when there were the most restrictions where you live	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Likely after the Covid-19 pandemic	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

PART B – ATTITUDINAL CHARACTERISTICS

21. How satisfied are you with your life at the moment?

 

Very dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Satisfied	Very satisfied
○	○	○	○	○

22. Now please recall your life satisfaction prior to the Covid 19 pandemic. How has your life satisfaction changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic?

 

Much less satisfied now	Less satisfied now	No change	More satisfied now	Much more satisfied now
○	○	○	○	○

23. How important are each of the following issues to you personally?

 

	Not at all important	Not important	Indifferent	Important	Very important	Prefer not to say
Climate change (e.g. rising average temperatures, extreme weather events) or other environmental issues (e.g. pollution)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Public health issues (e.g. the COVD-19 pandemic)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Inequality and discrimination (e.g. racial or gender-based)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Economic concerns (e.g. unemployment, price growth, poverty)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Political tensions (e.g. polarisation) or political violence (e.g. war)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Personal safety (e.g. crime, theft, gender-based violence)	○	○	○	○	○	○

[ IF any Q23 >= 2 ]

24. Which of the following environmental issues are you most concerned with? Please select your top three.

 

	1	2	3
Outdoor air pollution
Climate change (e.g. rising temperatures, changes in extreme weather events)
Pollution from plastic waste
Soil pollution (other than plastic waste, e.g. chemicals)
Resource scarcity (e.g. water, food)
Fragility of land ecosystems (e.g. loss of biodiversity, deforestation, species extinction)
Fragility of sea/ocean ecosystems (e.g. depletion of natural habitat, species extinction)
Water pollution (other than plastic waste, e.g. chemicals)

25. How do you expect climate change (e.g. rising average temperatures, changes in extreme weather events) or other environmental issues to impact the following?

 

	Very negatively	Negatively	No impact	Positively	Very positively	Don’t know
Your job security	○	○	○	○	○	○
Your health	○	○	○	○	○	○
Miscellaneous aspects of your quality of life (e.g. leisure activities, living environment)	○	○	○	○	○	○
The quality of life of younger generations (e.g. your children or grandchildren)	○	○	○	○	○	○

26. How satisfied are you with the following aspects of your local environment?

 

	Very dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Satisfied	Very satisfied	Don’t know
Access to green spaces (parks, forests)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Outdoor air quality	○	○	○	○	○	○
Food access (availability of supermarkets, farmers’ markets)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Level of noise	○	○	○	○	○	○
The amount of litter and rubbish in the area	○	○	○	○	○	○
Natural landscape (visual appeal)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Recycling opportunities	○	○	○	○	○	○
Soil quality	○	○	○	○	○	○
Tap/drinking water quality	○	○	○	○	○	○
Water quality (lakes, rivers, seas and oceans)	○	○	○	○	○	○

27. Imagine you are looking for a new place to live. How important is it to you to live close to green space?

 

Not at all important	Not important	Indifferent	Important	Very important	Don’t know
○	○	○	○	○	○

28. How has the importance of green space to you changed since the Covid-19 pandemic? It has become…

 

Much less important	Less important	No change	More important	Much more important	Don’t know
○	○	○	○	○	○

29. To what extent do you agree with each of the following statements?

 

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know/ Prefer not to answer
Environmental impacts are frequently overstated	○	○	○	○	○	○
I am willing to make in my current lifestyle for the benefit of the environment	○	○	○	○	○	○
Protecting the environment can boost the economy	○	○	○	○	○	○
Environmental issues should be dealt with primarily by future generations	○	○	○	○	○	○
Environmental issues should be resolved mainly through public policies	○	○	○	○	○	○
Environmental policies introduced by the government should not cost me extra money	○	○	○	○	○	○
Environmental issues will be resolved, primarily through technological progress	○	○	○	○	○	○
Environmental issues will be resolved mainly through individuals voluntarily changing their behaviour	○	○	○	○	○	○

30. Please indicate the sources of information you trust the most when it comes to environmental issues. Please rank up to three top sources from 1 (most trustworthy source) to 3 (third most trustworthy source):

 

	1	2	3
Researchers and scientific experts
National government administration
Local/regional government administration
International organisations (e.g. United Nations, OECD)
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs, e.g. WWF, Greenpeace)
For-profit/private companies
Politicians
Media (Newspapers, TV, etc.)
Social media
Family, friends and neighbours
I do not seek information on environmental issues

31. Do you have confidence in the national government in [country]?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

PART C – ENERGY

This section contains general questions about energy consumption. In what follows, please consider each question as it pertains to your primary residence.

32. Which of the following energy sources do you use for space heating/cooling? Please select all that apply.

1. Electricity

2. Gas

3. Oil, coal or other fossil fuels

4. Wood or burning pellets

5. District heating or cooling

6. Heat pumps (ambient ground or air temperature is used to provide heating/cooling via a compressor)

7. Solar space heating

8. Other

9. Don´t know

33. Which of the following energy sources do you use for water heating? Please select all that apply.

1. Electricity

2. Gas

3. Oil, coal or other fossil fuels

4. Wood or burning pellets

5. District heating or cooling

6. Heat pumps (ambient ground or air temperature is used to provide heating/cooling via a compressor)

7. Solar thermal

8. Other

9. Don´t know

34. Which of the following energy sources do you use for cooking? Please select all that apply.

1. Electricity

2. Gas (bottled, main, etc.)

3. Biomass

4. Oil

5. Other

6. Don´t know

35. How is your electricity supplied?

1. Supplied from a provider through the standard grid.

2. Supplied from a local mini- or micro- grid. (These grids generate electricity on a small scale and distribute it to a limited number of people operating independently of national networks.)

3. Self-supplied by a system owned by one or more members of your household (for instance solar panels or a wind turbine).

4. Other

5. Don’t know

36. How much was the average monthly cost for the electricity used by your primary residence over the past year? Please provide an approximate estimate (+/- 10%) :

 

EUR 25 or less	EUR 26–50	EUR 51-75	EUR 76-100	EUR 101-125	EUR 122-150	EUR 151-175	EUR 175-200	More than EUR 201	Don’t know
○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

37. Have any of the following been proposed to you by your energy provider?

 

	Yes and I have chosen this option	Yes, but I have not chosen this option	No, and I am not interested	No, but I would be interested	Don’t know
Electricity generated by renewable energy sources (e.g. wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, or hydropower)	○	○	○	○	○
Differentiated electricity rates for peak hours (e.g. early evening) and off-peak hours (e.g. night time)	○	○	○	○	○
Smart electricity meters that allow you to monitor your energy consumption	○	○	○	○	○
The option to self-generate electricity for your own use or to sell it back to the grid	○	○	○	○	○
A device that optimises energy use by automatically controlling your heating/cooling and appliances based on your desired settings	○	○	○	○	○

[ IF Q37c == “Yes and I have chosen this option” ]

38. Do you use the information collected by your smart meter?

1. I use the information from the smart meter and it has helped me to reduce my household’s electricity consumption

2. I look at the information from the smart meter but I have not used this information to reduce my electricity consumption

3. I don’t look at the information displayed from the smart meter

4. This information is not provided to me

39. Thinking about your energy use at home, what statement best describes your household?

1. I/we use as much electricity and fuel as I/we want

2. I/we cannot use as much as I/we need due to the high cost

3. I/we satisfy my/our needs but try to minimise use for financial reasons

4. I/we satisfy my/our needs but try to minimise use for environmental reasons

5. I/ we cannot use as much as I/we need due to unreliable/unavailable supply

6. Other

7. Don’t know

40. How often do you do the following in your daily life?

 

	Never	Occasionally	Often	Always	Not applicable
Turn off lights when leaving a room	○	○	○	○	○
Minimise the use of heating (e.g. by dressing warmly) and cooling (e.g. by avoiding using air conditioning)	○	○	○	○	○
Only run full loads when using washing machines or dishwashers	○	○	○	○	○
Minimise hot water use (e.g. when doing the dishes or taking showers)	○	○	○	○	○
Air dry laundry rather than using a clothes dryer	○	○	○	○	○
Open the windows in the winter for fresh air	○	○	○	○	○

[For respondents that don’t always engage in all energy efficiency behaviours in Q40]

41. Your answers on the previous question indicate that you do not always try to reduce energy consumption in your household. Please help us understand the most important reasons why not: Please select all that apply:

1. I am willing to change my habits but I forget to do so

2. Environmental issues are important to me but it’s too difficult to change my habits

3. I don’t believe a serious environmental problem related to energy consumption exists

4. Others in my household would not cooperate or I would receive criticism from those around me

5. I feel like my other environmental actions already make enough of a difference

6. My behaviour changes will not make a difference

7. I won’t see any personal benefit from changing my behaviour

8. I don’t know how to decrease my energy consumption further

9. I feel confident that technological innovations will solve environmental problems

10. Other

42. Have you installed any of the following items over the past ten years in your current primary residence?

 

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Highly energy-efficient appliances (e.g. washing machines, refrigerators)	○	○	○
Low-energy light bulbs (e.g., compact fluorescent, LED)
Energy-efficient windows (e.g. double or triple glazed windows)	○	○	○
Thermal insulation of walls/roof/floor	○	○	○
Thermostats	○	○	○
Solar panels for electricity	○	○	○
Solar water heating	○	○	○
Battery storage	○	○	○
Heat pumps (ambient ground and air temperature is used to provide heating/cooling via a compressor)	○	○	○
Other	○	○	○

[Only show items for which the respondent answered Yes in Q42]

43. Has governmental financial support (e.g. grants, loans with below-market interest rates, tax exemptions) encouraged you to install any of the following items in your residence?

 

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Highly energy-efficient appliances (e.g. top-rated washing machines, refrigerators )	○	○	○
Energy-efficient windows (e.g. double or triple glazed windows)	○	○	○
Thermal insulation of walls/roof/floor	○	○	○
Thermostats	○	○	○
Solar panels for electricity	○	○	○
Solar water heating
Battery storage	○	○	○
Heat pumps (ambient ground and air temperature is used to provide heating/cooling via a compressor)	○	○	○
Other	○	○	○

[Only show items for which the respondent answered No to in Q42]

44. Why haven’t you installed the following items?

 

	Already equipped/ installed more than ten years ago	I am planning to install this in the next two/three years	I am interested but cannot afford it	Not possible (not feasible in my house/ apartment/area and/or my landlord would need to install this)	I am not interested	I am not aware of this or don’t know if it is possible to install in my area/home
Highly energy-efficient appliances (e.g. top-rated washing machines, refrigerators )	○	○	○	○	○	○
Energy-efficient windows (e.g. double or triple glazed windows)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Thermal insulation of walls/roof/floor	○	○	○	○	○	○
Thermostats	○	○	○	○	○	○
Solar panels for electricity	○	○	○	○	○	○
Solar water heating	○	○	○	○	○	○
Battery storage	○	○	○	○	○	○
Heat pumps (ambient ground and air temperature is used to provide heating/cooling via a compressor)	○	○	○	○	○	○

45. How important would the following factors be in encouraging you to reduce your energy consumption?

 

	Not at all important	Not important	Indifferent	Important	Very important	No opinion
More practical information on how to reduce energy consumption at home	○	○	○	○	○	○
Higher energy prices	○	○	○	○	○	○
Better-performing energy efficient appliances (e.g. washing machines, dishwashers)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Reduced cost of energy-efficient devices and renovation (e.g. financial support)	○	○	○	○	○	○

46. To what extent do you support the following potential policy measures?

 

	Strongly against	Against	Indifferent	Support	Strongly support	Don’t know
Providing subsidies to individuals for renovating, purchasing energy-efficient appliances or investing in renewable energy equipment (e.g. rooftop solar panels)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Taxing the use of energy or the purchase of appliances and other equipment that use a lot of energy	○	○	○	○	○	○
Introducing energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that manufacturers have to comply with	○	○	○	○	○	○

47. Do you think that low-income households should receive special government support (e.g. subsidies) to help them do this?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

Example discrete choice experiment:

Please imagine that you have the opportunity to select a new electricity provider for your household if you wish. Below you will be presented with scenarios in which you can choose to switch to a new provider or to stay with your current provider. Please assume that, apart from the differences shown, the providers do not differ in any other way (e.g. regarding the reliability of the electricity supply, etc). Your current provider costs EUR XX/kWh and emits XXg CO₂e/kWh, which are average for [insert country]. The average amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted per kWh of electricity across all OECD countries is 384g CO2e/kWh.

Given the different options available in each of the following scenarios, please indicate which provider you would choose:

 

	Provider 1	Provider 2	Current provider
Change in price per kWh	EUR 0.15/kWh (5% increase)	EUR 0.16/kWh (10% increase)	EUR 0.14/kWh (No change)
Change in amount of greenhouse gas emissions per kWh	397g CO2e/kWh (10% decrease)	309/g CO2e/kWh (30% decrease)	441g CO2e/kWh (No change)
Your chosen provider:	○	○	○

PART D – TRANSPORT

48. Do you or does anyone in your household regularly use any of the following (including company-provided equipment)? Please select all that apply.

 

	Yes, I do	Yes, someone else in the household does	Neither of these	Don’t know
Gasoline or diesel-powered scooter/moped	○	○	○	○
Electric scooter/moped	○	○	○	○
Gasoline or diesel-powered motorcycle	○	○	○	○
Electric motorcycle	○	○	○	○
Gasoline or diesel-powered car	○	○	○	○
Hybrid electric car (including plug-in hybrid)	○	○	○	○
Fully electric car	○	○	○	○
Hydrogen fuel cell and other alternative-fueled car (e.g. biofuel, biodiesel)	○	○	○	○
Vehicle sharing program (for scooters, mopeds, motorcycles or cars)	○	○	○	○
Carpooling system	○	○	○	○

[If respondents indicate that the household regularly uses a car in Q48]

49. How old is the newest car that you or other members of your household use?

1. 0-4 years old

2. 5-9 years old

3. 10-14 years old

4. 15 or more years old

5. Don’t know

50. Do you or does anyone in your household regularly use any of the following (including company-provided equipment)? Please select all that apply.

 

	Yes, I do	Yes, someone else in the household does	Neither of these	Don’t know
Non-electric kick-scooter	○	○	○	○
Electric kick-scooter	○	○	○	○
Non-electric bicycle	○	○	○	○
Electric bicycle	○	○	○	○
Public transport system	○	○	○	○
Kick-scooter sharing programme	○	○	○	○
Bike-sharing programme	○	○	○	○
On-demand ride-hailing application	○	○	○	○

51. Please select which statement best describes the availability of charging stations for electric cars near you:

1. I can charge an electric car in my driveway or in my garage

2. I can charge an electric car at work

3. I can charge an electric car on the street or in the parking lot where I park

4. I can charge an electric car within 3 kilometres/2 miles from my home or my workplace

5. There are no charging stations in my area

6. Don’t know

[If respondents indicate that the household does not regularly use a car in Q48]

52. Please rank up to three top reasons from 1 (most important reason) to 3 (third most important reason) why your household does not use a car:

 

	1	2	3
The purchase cost is too high
The cost of using it (i.e. maintenance, energy, parking) is too high
There are public transit services (tram, metro, rail, bus) close to home
No one in the household can drive (e.g. no driver’s license, disability)
I live in walking/cycling distance from most essential facilities
Environmental concerns (e.g. outdoor air pollution)
Road congestion/traffic jams are too inconvenient
Risk of car accidents
Too few parking spaces
None of these

53. Thinking of your personal travel, how do you usually travel to each of the following activities? Please select your primary mode of transport.

 

	Walking	Car	Carpooling	Public transport	Bicycle	Motorcycle	Other	Not applicable
Work (e.g. daily commute to and from work, including education)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Leisure (e.g. visiting family and friends, shopping, sports, cultural activities)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Travel to drop off/pick up children at school, childcare or other child related travel, if trip does not include a place of work	○	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

54. In a typical year, how often do you make long distance trips (over 100 miles/200km one way) for work-related purposes?

 

	None	1-3 trips	4-6 trips	7-9 trips	More than 9 trips	Don´t know
Car or motorcycle	○	○	○	○	○	○
Bus	○	○	○	○	○	○
Cruise, ship, ferry	○	○	○	○	○	○
Rail	○	○	○	○	○	○
Carpooling	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plane	○	○	○	○	○	○
Other	○	○	○	○	○	○

55. In a typical year, how often do you make long distance trips (over 100 miles/200km one way) for leisure-related purposes?

 

	None	1-3 trips	4-6 trips	7-9 trips	More than 9 trips	Don´t know
Car or motorcycle	○	○	○	○	○	○
Bus	○	○	○	○	○	○
Cruise, ship, ferry	○	○	○	○	○	○
Rail	○	○	○	○	○	○
Carpooling	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plane	○	○	○	○	○	○
Other	○	○	○	○	○	○

56. Compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic, how often do you expect to use the following modes of transport once the pandemic is well under control?

 

	More than before	Slightly more than before	Same as before	Slightly less than before	Less than before	Don’t know	I don’t expect to do this
For short trips (less than 100 miles/200km one way)
Use a car individually	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Carpool	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Train	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Bus	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plane	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
For long trips (more than 100 miles/200km one way)
Use a car individually	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Carpool	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Train	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Bus	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plane	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

57. To what extent would you support the following policies aiming to reduce environmental impacts from air travel?

 

	I would be strongly against	I would be against	Indifferent	I would support	I would strongly support	Don’t know
A tax on airplane tickets	○	○	○	○	○	○
A tax on kerosene fuel	○	○	○	○	○	○
Investing in research to develop clean air travel technologies (e.g. hydrogen planes, biofuels)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Restricting the number of short-distance flights (less than 1000 km)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Investing in better services for alternative modes of transportation (e.g. train, bus, boat)	○	○	○	○	○	○

58. What do you think about the following actions governments can take to reduce environmental impacts from cars?

 

Measure	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know/Prefer not to answer
Set stricter fuel efficiency standards for new cars	○	○	○	○	○	○
Implement a tax on carbon emissions or on energy-inefficient vehicles (e.g. a carbon tax)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Charge a fee per kilometre driven	○	○	○	○	○	○
Reduce speed limits on highways	○	○	○	○	○	○
Provide a subsidy (or tax credit) for purchasing a low-emissions or energy-efficient car	○	○	○	○	○	○
Increase parking fees or reduce parking spaces	○	○	○	○	○	○
Improve public transport (e.g. safer, faster, less expensive, better coverage)	○	○	○	○	○	○
More detailed impact labels for cars according to their environmental impacts	○	○	○	○	○	○
Introduce access restrictions or access fees in city centres (e.g. low emission zones)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Promote teleworking	○	○	○	○	○	○

[ If respondents indicate that the household regularly uses a car in Q48]

59. Would better public transport services (e.g. more frequent, more accessible, etc.) lead you to use a car less?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

[ IF Q59 == 1 ]

60. You indicated that better public transport services would lead you to drive car less. Which aspects of public transport would be most important in changing your driving habits?

 

	Not at all important	Not important	Indifferent	Important	Very important	Don’t know
More frequent service	○	○	○	○	○	○
A more extensive network	○	○	○	○	○	○
More comfortable (e.g. cleaner, less crowded)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Safer (e.g. less crime, fewer accidents)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Easier to switch between networks (e.g. metro to bus)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Lower cost	○	○	○	○	○	○
More hygienic (better sanitation protocols)	○	○	○	○	○	○

61. Do you intend to or could you imagine purchasing or leasing a new/used car in the near future (up to two years from now)?

1. Yes, purchasing

2. Yes, leasing

3. No

4. Don’t know

62. If you were to purchase or lease a new/used car, which type of car would you be most interested in?

1. Small car (city car or subcompact, Classes A and B)

2. Medium-sized car (compact or medium-sized car, Classes C and D)

3. Large car (Class E)

4. SUV

5. Pick-up truck

6. Van

7. Don´t know

63. If you were to purchase a new car, what do you expect the price range of the vehicle to be?

1. EUR 5-9K {or local currency equivalent}

2. EUR 10-14K {or local currency equivalent}

3. EUR 15-19K {or local currency equivalent}

4. EUR 20-24K {or local currency equivalent}

5. EUR 25-29K {or local currency equivalent}

6. EUR 30-34K {or local currency equivalent}

7. EUR 35-39K {or local currency equivalent}

8. EUR 40-44K {or local currency equivalent}

9. EUR 45-49K {or local currency equivalent}

10. EUR 50-59K {or local currency equivalent}

11. EUR 60-69K {or local currency equivalent}

12. EUR 70K or more {or local currency equivalent}

13. I don’t know

64. If you were to purchase or lease a new or used car, which fuel type would you be most interested in?

1. Gasoline

2. Diesel

3. Autogas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG)

4. Hybrid

5. Plug-in Hybrid

6. Battery electric

7. Hydrogen

8. Other

9. Don’t know

Example discrete choice experiment:

Please imagine that you are purchasing or leasing a new/used vehicle. Apart from the characteristics described below, the vehicles are the same in all other ways (e.g. comfort, safety, etc). Please choose which vehicle you would buy/lease:

 

	Vehicle 1	Vehicle 2	Vehicle 3
Drivetrain	Battery electric	Plug-in hybrid	Respondent-specific status quo (Q64)
Monthly ownership cost (paid over five years)	+25% of respondent-specific reference price	+20% of respondent-specific reference price	Respondent-specific reference price (Q63)
Running cost	3 €/100km	8 €/100km	Based on Q63
Driving range	400 km / 250 miles	800 km / 500 miles	Based on Q63
Highway refueling/recharging time	20 minutes (to 80% charge)	5 min (refuel)	Based on Q63
Can be charged at home	Yes	Yes	Based on Q51
Your chosen vehicle:	○	○	○

PART E – WASTE

In this section we will ask you about your waste disposal habits. Please note that by recyclable waste, we mean waste and materials that can be processed and used again, such as recyclable plastic bottles, paper, cardboard, glass and recyclable metal.

65. On average, how many of the following bags/bins of mixed waste (i.e. non-recyclable and non-compostable waste) does your household generate each week?

 

 

0

Less than 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 or more

Don’t know

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

66. How do you dispose of your mixed (non-recyclable, non-compostable) waste? Please select your primary method of disposal:

1. Mixed waste is collected directly from my residence.

2. I dispose of my mixed waste in containers located in my building/neighbourhood.

3. I dispose of my mixed waste at a landfill, incinerator, or drop-off location.

4. Other

67. How is your household charged for the collection of mixed (non-recyclable, non-compostable) waste at your primary residence? Please select the most relevant option:

1. Flat fee (e.g. lump sum included in property taxes, charges or rent)

2. According to volume (e.g. per bag, per container, bag tags)

3. According to weight (e.g. per kg, pound)

4. According to frequency of collection (e.g. how often the waste is collected)

5. According to size of household or residence

6. Other form of charging

7. Not charged

8. Don’t know

68. On average, how many of the following bags/bins of recyclable waste does your household generate each week (not including compostable waste)?

 

 

0

Less than 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 or more

Don’t know

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

69. What is the main waste collection service you use to dispose of the following?

 

	Door-to-door/curb side collection	Drop-off centres /containers	Bring to a store/retailer/ manufacturer/ farmers market	Other	No recycling service available	I don’t know what collection service exists in my area	I don’t produce this type of waste
Glass bottles/ containers	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plastic bottles/ containers	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plastic packaging other than bottles/containers	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Aluminium, tin and steel cans	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Paper/cardboard (including paper-based packaging)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Batteries	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Food waste (for composting)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

70. Please indicate approximately what percentage of each the following items your household recycles or composts:

 

	<10%	25%	50%	75%	>90%	Don’t know	I don’t recycle/compost these items
Glass bottles/ containers	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Plastic bottles/ containers	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Other recyclable plastics packaging	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Aluminium, tin and steel cans	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Paper/cardboard (including paper-based packaging)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Batteries	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Electronics/electric equipment	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Food waste (for composting)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

[If respondent indicates composting at least <10% of food waste in Q70]

71. Do you compost your food waste at home or in a collective facility?

1. At home

2. In a collective facility (e.g. it is brought to a composting site)

[ If Q69h == <10% OR If Q69h == 25% OR If Q69h == 50% ]

72. What are the main reasons you do not compost more? Please select all that apply:

1. I don’t have enough knowledge on the topic

2. There is not enough storage space at home

3. There are no available space in collective specialized facilities near my home

4. I don’t see the benefits of doing it

5. It requires too much organisation

6. It can be unpleasant (e.g. smells, attracts insects)

7. Compost collection services are too expensive

8. Other

9. Don’t know

73. Please rank up to three most important factors from 1 (most important) to 3 (third most important) that would encourage your household to recycle or compost more.

 

	Rank
More practical information on how to do it
Greater financial incentives (e.g. saving/receiving money)
More space at home for recycling/composting
Simpler requirements for recycling (e.g. less sorting needed)
More accessible collection or drop-off services
More frequent collection of recyclable/compostable items
Better evidence of the environmental benefits of recycling
Recyclable waste collected from my primary residence
Cleaner containers to use for recycling/composting
Having the option to get recyclable/compostable waste collected from my home

74. How often does your household do the following?

 

	Never	Occasionally	Often	Always	Don’t know	Not applicable
Buy paper with recycled content	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy products that are less environmentally harmful (e.g. cleaning products)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Use refillable containers	○	○	○	○	○	○
Use reusable shopping bags	○	○	○	○	○	○
Rent or borrow products (e.g. home improvement tools) instead of buying them	○	○	○	○	○	○
Make homemade products (e.g. beauty or cleaning products)	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy second-hand	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy high quality items that will last	○	○	○	○	○	○
Repair damaged items instead of buying new ones	○	○	○	○	○	○

75. In general, how do you dispose of old or broken electronic and electric equipment? Please select all that apply:

1. Store at home/store indefinitely

2. Dispose of with mixed waste

3. Get old equipment taken away by the retailer when new replacement equipment is delivered

4. Return old equipment at the shop where I have bought new equipment

5. Use specialised disposal/collection service

6. Give to charity

7. They are collected with my recyclables

8. Resell for parts use or refurbishment

9. Other

76. Approximately how much did the volume of mixed (non-recyclable, non-compostable) waste your household produces change as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic?

 

Decreased by 50% or more	0% (no change)	Increased by 50% or more	Don’t know
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|			□

77. Approximately how much did the volume of recyclable and compostable waste your household produces change as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic?

 

Decreased by 50% or more	0% (no change)	Increased by 50% or more	Don’t know
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|			□

78. What type of food does your household usually throw away? Please exclude non-edible parts of food, e.g. peelings, apple cores, etc. Please select all that apply:

1. Fruits/vegetables

2. Bread

3. Meat/seafood

4. Dairy/eggs

5. Packaged foods meant to be stored outside the fridge (like cereal, cookies, canned vegetables, etc.)

6. Leftovers from homemade meals

7. My household never throws away food

[ Skip if Q78 == 7 ]

79. How often do you throw away (e.g., discard in the trash, garbage disposal, compost, etc.) food for the following reasons?

 

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always
Past date on label	○	○	○	○	○
Spoiled	○	○	○	○	○
Didn't like or tired of eating	○	○	○	○	○
Did not know what to do with it or how to use it	○	○	○	○	○
Too little to save	○	○	○	○	○
Not good as leftovers	○	○	○	○	○
Unable to store or save	○	○	○	○	○
Other	○	○	○	○	○

[ IF Q79b ≠ Never ]

80. You indicated that you throw food away because it spoils. What typically happens that leads your food to spoil? Please select all that apply:

1. Bought too much

2. Made too much

3. Lost track of in the fridge or cupboard

4. Too busy to prepare the food

5. Did not know what to do with or how to use

6. Other

[ Skip if respondent answered Q78 == 7]

81. What information, if any, would be helpful in reducing the amount of food your household throws away? Please select all that apply:

1. How to store specific items

2. How to interpret food date labels (use by, sell by, etc.)

3. What can be frozen and for how long

4. What foods are dangerous when spoiled versus simply unappealing

5. Recipes to help use up extra food

6. Planning shopping or portions (e.g. using specialized tools or apps)

7. Don’t know

Example discrete choice experiment:

Please imagine that you are purchasing laundry detergent. The detergent can be bought in either a non-recyclable container that you can dispose of after use, a recyclable container that you can recycle after use, or a refillable container that you can re-use. You pay a one-time deposit for the refillable container and for subsequent purchases you only pay for the detergent that you fill it with. Please keep in mind that using a refillable container requires bringing the empty container to the store and cleaning it after each use. Apart from the characteristics described below, the detergents are the same in all ways (e.g. effectiveness, ingredients, smell). The detergent can be either in liquid form or in solid form. Given the options below, please select which product you would buy:

 

	Detergent 1	Detergent 2	Detergent 3
Price	4.50 €	4.00 €	3.50 €
Package type	Cardboard package	Plastic package	Reusable container
Your chosen detergent:	○	○	○

PART F – FOOD SYSTEMS

82. Where does your food typically come from?

 

	Never	Sometimes	Often	Always
Large supermarkets	○	○	○	○
Local supermarket/convenience stores	○	○	○	○
Online groceries	○	○	○	○
Local food shops (e.g. bakeries, butcheries, fruit and vegetable shops)	○	○	○	○
Markets (e.g. outdoor flea markets, covered markets)	○	○	○	○
Directly from the producers/cooperatives	○	○	○	○
Eat out	○	○	○	○
Order food to go or for delivery	○	○	○	○
Food-sharing schemes (e.g. food banks or donation centres)	○	○	○	○

84. How often do you personally do the following?

 

	Never	Once a month	Once a week	Several times a week
Eat red meat (e.g. beef)	○	○	○	○
Eat white meat (e.g. chicken)	○	○	○	○
Eat seafood	○	○	○	○
Eat dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese)	○	○	○	○
Eat eggs	○	○	○	○
Eat locally produced food	○	○	○	○
Eat fair trade certified products	○	○	○	○
Eat processed snacks and pre-prepared meals	○	○	○	○
Have to make compromises on food quality or quantity because of a lack of money	○	○	○	○
Have to make compromises on food quality or quantity because of a lack of food availability (e.g. lack of stores/restaurants in the area)	○	○	○	○

85. How often do you personally do the following?

 

	Never	Rarely	Sometimes	Often	Always
Prioritise food products with minimal packaging	○	○	○	○	○
Eat mainly products that are in season	○	○	○	○	○
Eat organic food	○	○	○	○	○

86. Compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic, how often do you expect to do the following once the Covid-19 pandemic is well under control?

 

	Less than before	Slightly less than before	Same as before	Slightly more than before	More than before	Don’t know	I don’t expect to do this
Eat processed snacks and pre-prepared meals	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy food at large supermarkets	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy groceries online	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy food from local food shops (e.g. bakeries, butcheries, fruit and vegetable shops)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy food from markets (e.g. outdoor markets, covered markets)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Buy directly from the producers/cooperatives	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Receive items from food-sharing schemes (e.g. food banks or donation centres)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Contribute items to food-sharing schemes (e.g. food banks or donation centres)	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Eat out	○	○	○	○	○	○	○
Order food to go or for delivery	○	○	○	○	○	○	○

87. What is most important to you when you are choosing which foods to buy? Please select up to five of the following:

 

It is easy to prepare	○
It tastes good	○
It is healthy	○
It emits relatively few emissions that contribute to climate change	○
It is affordable	○
It can be easily bought or is widely accessible	○
It is made and sold by people who have good working conditions	○
It is produced in a way that respects animal welfare	○
It is organic	○
It is unprocessed	○
It is produced locally	○
It is sold with minimal packaging	○
It is not easily perishable	○
It is fresh	○

88. What do you think of the following measures to improve the environmental sustainability of food systems?

 

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither agree nor disagree	Agree	Strongly agree	Don’t know
Improve the design and use of sustainability labels	○	○	○	○	○	○
Place stricter regulations on the use of pesticides, industrial farming and aquaculture operations	○	○	○	○	○	○
Put a tax on meat and/or seafood	○	○	○	○	○	○
Provide incentives to farmers to convert to more environmentally-friendly agricultural practices	○	○	○	○	○	○
Limit advertising for food products with large environmental impacts	○	○	○	○	○	○
Educate school children about sustainable diets	○	○	○	○	○	○
Promote food banks or food-sharing platforms (such as phone apps) that enable people to donate or collect food for free	○	○	○	○	○	○
Make food companies pay for or take back their packaging for proper disposal	○	○	○	○	○	○
Provide incentives for restaurants to use sustainable products	○	○	○	○	○	○

[ If respondents eat meat as indicated by Q83 ]

89. If available in the future, would you be willing to substitute conventional meat with lab-grown meat? (Lab-grown meat is made from animal cells in a laboratory and not from a slaughtered animal).

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t know

[ If Q88 == 2 ]

90. Why would you be reluctant to eat lab-grown meat? Please select all that apply:

1. Too expensive

2. Inferior taste or nutritional value

3. Incompatible with my culture and/or values

4. I don’t think it would be available for me to buy

5. I am suspicious of lab-grown alternatives (e.g. health impacts)

6. Other

Example discrete choice experiment:

Please imagine that you wish to select a plate of food from several options as your typical meal. Each plate has one portion of vegetables, one portion of grains, and one portion of protein, as shown below. Apart from the differences described below, the quality of the ingredients in each of the meals is the same, and all of the meals contain the same number of calories. Given the following options, please choose which plate you would buy:

 

 

	Plate 1	Plate 2	Neither
Price	€ 10.50	€ 8.75
Protein source	Seafood	Meat
Chemical/antibiotic use	None	High use
Source	National	Local
Your chosen plate:	○	○	○

References

[2] Bateman, I. et al. (2002), “Economic valuation with stated preference techniques: a manual.”, Economic valuation with stated preference techniques: a manual..

[1] OECD (2018), Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Environment: Further Developments and Policy Use, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264085169-en.