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Measuring the impact of multiple air-pollution agreements on global CO2 emissions

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  • Aurelie Slechten
  • Vincenzo Verardi

Abstract

Many countries are part of multiple international air-pollution agreements that interact with each other given that a single source of emissions is typically composed of several pollutants. This paper studies the effect on carbon dioxide emissions of the various agreements that follow the Long-Range Transboundary Air-Pollution (LRTAP) Convention and that are related to acid rain problems. The analysis is based on a panel dataset of 150 countries over the period 1970 - 2008. We show that ratifying each additional treaty has a significant and negative impact on the level of CO2 emissions, even if they are not specifically targeted toward carbon emissions. Our findings can be explained by (1) the more local nature of pollutants covered (2) the relative ease to implement LRTAP treaties. To deal with an eventual reverse causality problem, we instrument the decision to ratify treaties by the status of the death penalty in each country.

Suggested Citation

  • Aurelie Slechten & Vincenzo Verardi, 2014. "Measuring the impact of multiple air-pollution agreements on global CO2 emissions," Working Papers 64981588, Lancaster University Management School, Economics Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:lan:wpaper:64981588
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    Cited by:

    1. Jing Xu, 2018. "International environmental agreements with agenda and interaction between pollutants," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 153-174, April.
    2. Ederington, Josh & Paraschiv, Mihai & Zanardi, Maurizio, 2022. "The short and long-run effects of international environmental agreements on trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    3. Sara Kahn-Nisser, 2019. "When the targets are members and donors: Analyzing inter-governmental organizations’ human rights shaming," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 431-451, September.
    4. Gautier Luis, 2019. "The Role of Multiple Pollutants and Pollution Intensities in the Policy Reform of Taxes and Standards," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(3), pages 1-20, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air-pollution Agreements; CO2 emissions; Panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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