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The Role of Sanctions and Spillovers in Forest Conservation

Author

Listed:
  • João Pedro Vieira

    (Department of Economics, PUC-Rio)

  • Ricardo Dahis

    (Department of Economics, Monash University)

  • Juliano Assunção

    (Department of Economics, PUC-Rio)

Abstract

We study how environmental sanctions and spillovers improve forest conservation in the Brazilian Amazon. Using a difference-in-differences framework and novel farm-level data, we show that sanctions curbed deforestation and promoted reforestation among punished farmers and their neighbors. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that even sanctions with limited incapacitation potential elicited relevant behavioral changes. In particular, farmers’ responsiveness to sanctions coincided with the government’s commitment to enforcement. We do not find substantial evidence of spatial displacement or monitoring evasion. Overall, sanctions prevented 1.6 billion tons of CO2 emissions between 2006 and 2019, equivalent to 31% of US emissions in 2021.

Suggested Citation

  • João Pedro Vieira & Ricardo Dahis & Juliano Assunção, 2023. "The Role of Sanctions and Spillovers in Forest Conservation," Monash Economics Working Papers 2023-16, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mos:moswps:2023-16
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Law Enforcement; Spillovers; Deforestation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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