Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/316858 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 11744
Publisher: 
CESifo GmbH, Munich
Abstract: 
We study how international environmental agreements can take advantage of domestic time-inconsistency problems. Policymakers often prefer future policies to be sustainable, but are tempted to invest less when being in office. We find the equilibrium number of signatory countries to be higher than when preferences are time consistent, especially when the political environment is unstable and polarized and the international spillovers are limited. This model also explains participation in treaties whose mandates do not vary with the coalition size and why the coalition will not unravel if, for example, the US exits the Paris Agreement.
Subjects: 
international treaties
time inconsistency
self-commitment
environmental policy
JEL: 
Q54
Q58
H87
F53
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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