Grow rich and clean up later? International assistance and the provision of environmental quality in low- and middle-income countries

This paper deals with the question whether low- and middle-income countries that are politically better integrated into the international system are able to provide higher levels of environmental quality than could be expected only according to their national income levels. Using time-series cross-section regression analysis of 110 countries for the period 1950-1999 it can be shown that those countries that have signed and ratified more environmental treaties, have significantly lower SO2 emissions than countries that are less integrated into the international system. However, in contrast to theoretical predictions democratic low- and middle-income countries despite their stronger integration into the international system exhibit higher SO2 emissions indicating lower environmental quality than autocratic countries. --

On Commitment Levels and Compliance Mechanisms – Determinants of Participation in Global Environmental Agreements

We argue that participation in international agreements is influenced by their design characteristics, notably commitment levels, measured by the specificity of obligations, and compliance mechanisms, measured by monitoring, enforcement, assistance, and dispute settlement provisions in treaties. We submit that specific obligations as well as monitoring and enforcement have a negative, and assistance and dispute settlement a positive effect on participation. These arguments are tested on a new dataset that includes information on ratifications of more than 200 global environmental agreements in 1950- 2006. We find that specific obligations, assistance, and dispute settlement have the expected effects. Surprisingly, our results show that the presence (or absence) of monitoring and enforcement has no effect on participation. The latter finding suggests that monitoring and enforcement through mechanisms operating outside of treaties rather than through treaty obligations themselves are likely to play a significant role.