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When Do International Treaties Matter for Domestic EnvironmentalLegislation?

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  • Clara Brandi
  • Dominique Blümer
  • Jean-Frédéric Morin

Abstract

While thousands of international treaties have been concluded, it remains unclearwhether they have been implemented. This article investigates the relationshipbetween the conclusion of environment-related international treaties and theadoption of domestic environmental legislation. Thanks to data sets that areconsiderably more comprehensive and fine-grained than those previously used, wecan analyze the direct link to environmental legislation rather than the lessdirect link to environmental outcomes. Moreover, we can disaggregate forspecific environmental issue areas. Our results suggest a positive relationshipbetween domestic environmental legislation with both international environmentalagreements and preferential trade agreements (PTAs) with environmentalprovisions. This link is more robust for PTAs, mostly present in developingcountries, more pronounced before rather than after the treaties’ entryinto force, and shows significant variation depending on the issue area. Thesefindings contribute to the literature on environmental regime effectiveness andthe domestic impact of treaties.

Suggested Citation

  • Clara Brandi & Dominique Blümer & Jean-Frédéric Morin, 2019. "When Do International Treaties Matter for Domestic EnvironmentalLegislation?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 19(4), pages 14-44, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:glenvp:v:19:y:2019:i:4:p:14-44
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    1. Ida Bastiaens & Evgeny Postnikov & Anne‐Kathrin Kreft, 2023. "Labour provisions in trade agreements and women's rights in the global south," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(5), pages 702-715, November.
    2. Rodolfo Campos & Marta Suárez-Varela & Jacopo Timini, 2022. "The EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement and its impact on CO2 emissions," Economic Bulletin, Banco de España, issue 1/2022.
    3. Mattia Ubaldo & Steven McGuire & Vikrant Shirodkar, 2022. "Voluntary programs and emissions revisited: What is the effect of EU trade agreements with environmental provisions?," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(4), pages 467-489, December.
    4. Xin Liu & Zhiyong Kang, 2022. "Environmental Policy and Exports in China: An Analysis Based on the Top 10,000 Energy-Consuming Enterprises Program," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Di Ubaldo, Mattia & Gasiorek, Michael, 2022. "Non-trade provisions in trade agreements and FDI," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    6. Zakaria Sorgho & Tharakan Joe, 2020. "Do PTAs with environmental provisions reduce emissions? Assessing the effectiveness of climate-related provisions?," Working Papers hal-03004353, HAL.
    7. Zakaria Sorgho & Joe Tharakan, 2022. "Do PTAs with Environmental Provisions Reduce GHG Emissions? Distinguishing the Role of Climate-Related Provisions," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(3), pages 709-732, November.
    8. RonaldB. Mitchell & LilianaB. Andonova & Mark Axelrod & Jörg Balsiger & Thomas Bernauer & JessicaF. Green & James Hollway & RakhyunE. Kim & Jean-Frédéric Morin, 2020. "What We Know (and Could Know) About International EnvironmentalAgreements," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 20(1), pages 103-121, February.
    9. Katharine Heyl & Felix Ekardt & Paula Roos & Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske, 2021. "Free Trade, Environment, Agriculture, and Plurilateral Treaties: The Ambivalent Example of Mercosur, CETA, and the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-24, March.
    10. Brandi, Clara & Schwab, Jakob & Berger, Axel & Morin, Jean-Frédéric, 2020. "Do environmental provisions in trade agreements make exports from developing countries greener?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).

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