Domestic Dynamics and International Influence: What Explains the Passage of Climate Change Legislation?

Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy Working Paper No. 156

33 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2014

See all articles by Sam Fankhauser

Sam Fankhauser

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment

Caterina Gennaioli

Queen Mary University, School of Business and Management

Murray Collins

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)

Date Written: April 28, 2014

Abstract

This paper analyses national and international factors that drive the adoption of legislation on climate change. Our unique dataset of climate laws identifies 419 pieces of national legislation, policies and strategies addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation in 63 countries. We find that the passage of climate legislation is influenced by both domestic and international factors. Domestically, climate legislation tends to be boosted by high-profile “flagship laws”, on which subsequent legislation is based. Climate legislation is a fairly bi-partisan affair. There is no significant difference in the number of laws passed by left-wing and right-wing governments, except perhaps in Anglo-Saxon countries. However, left-leaning governments are more inclined to pass broad, unifying flagship legislation. In terms of international factors, the propensity to legislate is heavily influenced by the passage of similar laws elsewhere, suggesting a strong role for peer pressure and/or learning effects. The prestige of hosting an international climate summit is also associated with a subsequent boost in legislation. Legislators respond to the expectations of climate leadership that these events bestow on their host. The impact of the Kyoto Protocol is more equivocal, although there is some indication it has increased legislation in countries with formal obligations under the treaty.

Keywords: climate change, environmental legislation, international policy diffusion, political economy

Suggested Citation

Fankhauser, Sam and Gennaioli, Caterina and Collins, Murray, Domestic Dynamics and International Influence: What Explains the Passage of Climate Change Legislation? (April 28, 2014). Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy Working Paper No. 156, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2430107 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2430107

Sam Fankhauser (Contact Author)

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) - Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment ( email )

Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
Great Britain

HOME PAGE: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/fankhaus/

Caterina Gennaioli

Queen Mary University, School of Business and Management ( email )

Mile End Road
London, London E1 4NS
Great Britain

HOME PAGE: http://www.busman.qmul.ac.uk/staff/gennaiolic.html

Murray Collins

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) ( email )

Houghton Street
London, WC2A 2AE
United Kingdom

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