The negotiation and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol has spawned a body of literature aimed at analyzing the formation of international environmental coalitions. This literature suggests that in equilibrium environmental agreements will have only a small number of signatories. As of April 2007, however, 168 countries have ratified the protocol; thirty-five of which have binding emissions redu...

This paper evaluates the prospects for protecting critical social functions from “cyber” attacks carried out over electronic information networks. In particular, it focuses on the feasibility of devising international laws, conventions or agreements to deter and/or punish perpetrators of such attacks. First, it briefly summarizes existing conventions and laws, and explains to which technologica...

We introduce uncertainty and risk aversion to the study of international environmental agreements. We consider a simple model with identical agents and linear payoffs. We show that a stable treaty with positive action always exists. While uncertainty lowers the action of signatories, we find that it may increase participation. In addition, uncertainty may generate multiple equilibria. A treaty ...

Much of the literature on international environmental agreements (IEA) considers the case of identical countries. There is a much smaller literature concerning the more complex but more realistic case of country heterogeneity. This paper involves modifying the standard static homogeneous country model of international environmental agreements (IEA). In particular, we consider two types of count...

This paper demonstrates that partial cooperation with respect to the use of an international environmental resource can emerge when countries are able to opt to breach an agreement. Although the option of non-compliance restricts the set of coalitions on those which embrace merely two members, broader cooperation can emerge when these two countries compensate a third country for extra reduction...

International cooperation will be critical to solving the world's toughest environmental problems, including climate change, ozone depletion, and biodiversity. Regrettably, most evidence suggests that the 1,000 or so different International Environmental Agreements (IEAs) operating today are ineffectual, merely ratifying business-as-usual outcomes and doing little to improve the environment. Bu...