One approach to mitigate the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the development of CO2-based products, such as fuels for road traffic and aviation. Since the acceptance of sustainable product innovations such as CO2-based fuels depends on an individual’s acceptance decision based on perceived risks and benefits, this study focuses on subjective risk perceptions of fuel toxicity. An online survey was conducted to assess risk evaluations of CO2-based fuels regarding various risk targets, exposure characteristics, negative outcomes for health and environment, and frequency of health impairments. CO2-based fuels were significantly more positively perceived than conventional fuels and were found to be perceived to pose less risks regarding types of exposure and properties leading to toxic effects. For both aviation and road traffic the acceptance of CO2-based fuels increased with decreasing fear of health and environmental consequences and the less frequently health effects were assessed. The findings allow to derive implications for risk assessment and communication strategies in the development and roll-out of CO2-based fuels.

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In the present study, we studied the acceptance of CO2-based fuels for aviation as a product manufactured using Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU). CCU can be regarded as the cornerstone for a circular approach. We focused on understanding whether the evaluation of CCU as a production method is related to the social acceptance of the resulting product. We applied an empirical quantitative approach using an online questionnaire targeted at German, Spanish, Dutch, and Norwegian respondents (N = 2,187). For both CCU and the fuel, lay perceptions in terms of perceived benefits and barriers were assessed, as well as their affective evaluation. Additionally, the acceptance of the end-product was surveyed. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we gained a better understanding of how the acceptance of CO2-based fuels for aviation is formed. We found that the evaluation of CCU was mainly indirectly related to the acceptance of the product through relationships with the evaluation of the fuels. The perception of the benefits of CCU did affect the benefit perception of CO2-based fuels the most, followed closely by the affective evaluation of the fuels. For the perception of the barriers of CO2-based fuels, the perceived barriers of CCU were again the strongest predictor, followed by the affective evaluation of the fuels. We identified a moderate predictive power for the acceptance of CO2-based fuels. The relationship with the perceived benefits of the fuels was the most relevant, followed by barrier perceptions, the affective evaluation of the fuels, and finally the benefit perception of CCU. Overall, the findings yield first insights into the role of the evaluation of CCU and CO2-based fuels for aviation for the formation of the product’s acceptance. The outcomes are useful for informing the product’s and CCU’s technical development and policy making. Additionally, they aid in the design of public information about CCU and support the development of sensible communication strategies for the successful market roll-out of CCU and CO2-based fuels.

Significantly increased global greenhouse gas emissions from aviation make the decarbonization of the aviation sector an urgent demand to combat climate change. One technical approach is the usage of Carbon Capture and Utilization technologies (CCU) to re-use CO2 as raw material and to produce CO2-based aviation fuels. As the social readiness is an essential component for a successful roll-out, this study investigates acceptance and behavioral usage intentions regarding CO2-based aviation fuels. We applied an empirical quantitative online questionnaire in four European countries (Spain, Norway, Netherlands, and Germany, N = 2,187). To get a comprehensive overview of the factors that predict social readiness, data on relevant impact factors were collected, including sociodemographic factors, awareness, attitudinal factors (innovation cautiousness, environmental awareness, flight shame), flight behavior as well as evaluations in terms of benefit and risk perceptions of CO2-based fuels. Employing hierarchical regression analyses we identified the impact of individual factors and fuel-related perceptions on the acceptance of and the willingness to use CO2-based aviation fuels. For the prediction of CO2-based fuel acceptance, benefit perceptions were the strongest predictor, followed by environmental awareness, risk perceptions, interest, and flight shame. For the behavioral intention to fly with CO2-based fuels, benefit perceptions showed the strongest impact, followed by environmental awareness, interest, and risk perceptions about technical quality and -maturity as well as health- and environmental risks. This was valid for all four European countries under study, even though there were also national differences: Norwegian respondents showed the lowest interest in and knowledge of CO2-based aviation fuels and the lowest acceptance. Spanish respondents reported the highest acceptance, while acceptance scores of German and Dutch residents ranged in between. Overall, the findings provide a pan-European insight into the social readiness for CO2-based aviation fuels and its determinants, providing targeted information on public adoption conditions and requirements for Carbon Capture and Utilization technology developers and the aviation industry.

Risk analysis and assessment of toxic effects are important elements to be considered in the development of renewable fuels, such as CO2-based fuels made from CO2, water, and renewable energy. However, the successful introduction of CO2-based fuels could also be affected by public concerns about possible risks and adverse effects on health and the environment. In order to examine risk perceptions of laypeople for CO2-based fuels and to understand if they can act as a barrier for the public acceptance of these fuels, we carried out an online survey with German laypeople. A special focus was placed on perceptions of toxic effects such as beliefs about exposure pathways and resulting health impacts, but also on participants’ openness towards CO2-based fuels. Results showed that CO2-based fuels were seen as an acceptable and beneficial technology and risks were perceived to be low. By tendency, lower risk perceptions were related to a higher acceptance of CO2-based fuels. The overall risk judgment was impacted by fears about toxic effects, concerns about environmental pollution, and the perceived general harmfulness of CO2-based fuels. The general openness towards CO2-based fuels was revealed to affect risk perceptions and beliefs about toxic effects: A higher openness towards the topic was linked to less severe concerns about CO2-based fuels. The findings from this study provide valuable insights on how to develop communication concepts to inform laypeople about possible risks and benefits of CO2-based fuels to address their concerns and information demands and give them a better understanding of the effects of toxic substances on different risk targets.

To abate climate change and ameliorate the air quality in urban areas, innovative solutions are required to reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions from traffic. Alternative fuels made from biomass or CO2 and hydrogen can contribute to these goals by substituting fossil gasoline or diesel in combustion engines. Using a conjoint analysis approach, the current study investigates preferences of laypeople (n = 303) for fuel production facilities in terms of siting location, plant size, raw material used in the production, and raw material transport. The location was most decision-relevant, followed by raw material transport, whereas plant size and type of raw material played a less prominent role for the preference choice. The best-case scenario from the point of view of acceptance would be the installation of a rather small bio-hybrid fuel production plant in an industrial area (instead of an agricultural or pristine environment). No transport or transport via underground pipeline were preferred over truck/tank car or overground pipeline. The findings can be used as a basis for planning and decision-making for designing production networks for new fuel types.