Contingent Trade Agreements /

There are often conflicts between proponents of trade and environmental activists. This paper shows, however, how trade agreements can be designed so as to motivate environmental conservation. I first analyze a standard trade model, where resource exploitation (e.g., deforestation) is a trade-specif...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
1. Verfasser:
Harstad, Bård
Körperschaft:
National Bureau of Economic Research
Format:
Elektronisch E-Book
Sprache:
Englisch
Veröffentlicht:
Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2024.
Zusammenfassung:
There are often conflicts between proponents of trade and environmental activists. This paper shows, however, how trade agreements can be designed so as to motivate environmental conservation. I first analyze a standard trade model, where resource exploitation (e.g., deforestation) is a trade-specific investment that causes environmental damage. In this model, traditional trade agreements will cause more exploitation. Next, I investigate the extent to which conservation can be motivated by a contingent trade agreement (CTA), where default tariffs can vary with changes in the resource stock (e.g., the forest cover). The model permits many products, countries, and collaborators. A numerical example suggests that growth and liberalization can cause Brazil's agricultural area to expand by 27%, but this expansion can be avoided if the EU and the US offer a CTA.
Umfang:
1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);
Anmerkungen:
May 2024.
Schlagworte: