Applying choice experiments to valuing the different types of environmental issues in Japan

In this study, improvements of different types of environmental issues in Japan, (i) reduction of mortality risk due to exposure to suspended particulate matter (SPM), (ii) improvement of the water quality of an urban river, and (iii) protection of goshawks, were evaluated in monetary terms using choice experiments. It was found that the reduction of mortality risk and the improvement of the water quality were highly valued, while residents did not place high value on the protection of goshawks. However, scope sensitivity was not observed in the evaluation of each issue and the presence of moral satisfaction was revealed. Excluding the effect of lexicographic choices could partly solve the problem concerning scope sensitivity. The results suggested that non-scope sensitive values that were unrelated to or inconsistent with the level of environmental improvement could be estimated through choice experiments in this research.