Consumer Trust in Carbon Offset Claims Survey

Welcome, and thank you for participating in this research study on carbon offsets and emissions reductions. This survey takes approximately 6–8 minutes. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential, will be anonymized, and reported only in aggregate for research purposes.

In the past 12 months, have you seen or heard companies make "carbon neutral" or carbon-offset claims?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

The next few questions ask how much you trust different types of carbon-offset claims companies make.

Now, think about what information would change how much you trust an offset claim. For each detail below, indicate how much it would increase or decrease your trust.

When it comes to addressing their environmental impact, where should companies place greater emphasis?

If you trusted a company's carbon-offset claims, how willing would you be to pay a premium for their product?

In the past 12 months, have you personally paid extra for carbon offsets (e.g., at checkout, for flights, or via donations)?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

What would most increase your confidence in a company's carbon-offset claims?

What is your age?

• Under 18
• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey—your perspectives are valuable and will help inform research on corporate climate action. Your responses have been recorded.

Where have you seen or heard these claims? (Select all that apply.)

• On product packaging
• On company websites
• In advertisements (online, TV, print)
• In-store signage
• On social media
• In sustainability or CSR reports
• In news articles or press releases
• Other (please specify)

How much do you trust a company that claims: "We are carbon neutral"?

How would your trust in a carbon-offset claim change if the company provided independent third-party verification of its offsets?

Rank the following factors by how much they matter to you when evaluating a company's carbon-offset claims. (1 = most important)

1. Evidence is specific and verifiable
2. Offsets address only unavoidable emissions
3. Environmental additionality is demonstrated
4. Long-term monitoring is in place
5. Cost-effectiveness of the offset
6. Brand or company credibility

How likely are you to choose a product with credible carbon-offset claims over a similar product without such claims, if both are the same price?

Where did you pay for carbon offsets? (Select all that apply.)

• Air travel offset add-on
• Retail checkout add-on (online or in-store)
• Donation to a climate project
• Utility or energy green tariff
• Subscription to a climate or tree-planting program
• Other (please specify)

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about companies' use of carbon offsets and their approach to climate action.

Which best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

How much do you trust a company that claims: "This product's carbon emissions have been fully offset"?

How would your trust change if the company disclosed specific project details (e.g., location, project type, developer)?

Rank the following climate actions in order of where you think companies should invest most. (1 = highest priority)

1. Emissions reductions in own operations
2. Supplier and logistics decarbonization
3. Product design and efficiency improvements
4. High-quality nature-based offsets (e.g., reforestation)
5. High-quality technology-based carbon removals
6. Measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV)

Where do you currently live?

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• Latin America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• North America
• Oceania
• Prefer not to say

How much do you trust a company that claims: "We offset X tonnes of CO₂ annually through verified projects"?

How would your trust change if the company published a transparent cost breakdown showing how offset funds are spent?

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Less than high school
• High school or equivalent
• Some college or associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Postgraduate degree
• Prefer not to say

How much do you trust a company that claims: "Certified carbon neutral by an independent third party"?

How would your trust change if the company demonstrated that its offsets are additional (i.e., would not have happened without the company's funding)?

What is your current employment status?

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Homemaker
• Unemployed
• Retired
• Prefer not to say

How would your trust change if the company provided regular public progress reports on its offset projects?