Research on Residents’ Willingness to Pay for Promoting the Green Development of Resource-Based Cities: A Case Study in Chifeng

Abstract

Resource-based cities have made significant contributions to the development of human beings but have also accumulated various unsustainable ills. For this reason, China put forward the strategy of green development. This study used questionnaires to explore the extent of residents’ understanding of regional green development in Chifeng City and their willingness to support local green development, and further analyzed the differences in the residents’ attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) with different socioeconomic characteristics. The results showed that most of the respondents supported the green development strategy and demonstrated a strong willingness to participate in regional green development investment. According to calculations, the per capita WTP for green development in Chifeng is 45.05 yuan/a (about 7 dollars/a, 5.7 euros/a). Urban residents, government employees, and well-educated respondents were more inclined to support regional green development and showed a greater WTP. Elderly and female respondents agreed more with the government’s green development promotion, while the young and middle-aged populations and men tended to have higher green development expenditures. The respondents’ annual income difference was reflected in the amounts of residents’ WTP. This study also offered scientific support and policy assistance to promote the environmental protection work from government-led to public participation.