Table 1_Delivering sustainable food: exploring college students’ willingness to pay for carbon labels in China via a choice experiment.docx

Key findings include: Firstly, compared with high-carbon-footprint takeaways, university students show a significant positive preference for low-carbon-footprint alternatives, with an estimated WTP of an additional $1.65 per order. Meanwhile, consumers also prefer takeaways with environmentally friendly packaging. Secondly, male students, those with a proactive environmental stance, and those with greater awareness of environmental knowledge were more inclined to opt for takeaways with lower carbon footprints.

Greater environmental knowledge also led to a preference for eco-friendly packaging options. The findings underscore the critical role of carbon label disclosures in steering university students towards environmentally friendly choices in food delivery, thereby charting a feasible pathway towards achieving low-carbon goals. This aligns with the promotion of efficient takeaway dietary habits among young generations.</p>