Assessing Public Support for an International Climate Treaty Including Willingness-to-Pay in the United States, China and Vietnam

Abstract

Climate change is the most important environmental/societal issue facing our world today. Because of the global causes/consequences of climate change, international cooperation is essential in developing, implementing and financing successful mitigation policy action. Additionally, public support for action around the world will likely be a significant determining factor regarding if/when climate change mitigation policies will be enacted. Moreover, the United States and China are central to international policy negotiations because they are the world’s two largest economies and the two largest greenhouse gas polluters. By comparison, Vietnam is a much smaller and poorer country with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than either China or the United States. Perhaps more importantly Vietnam has been identified by the World Bank as one of the countries most at risk from the effects of climate change. Using our data described in our first poster, we assess support for an international climate change treaty among citizens in the United States, China and Vietnam. Additionally, there will be significant costs associated with undertaking global climate change mitigation policies. Thus, we also explore the degree to which citizens in these three countries are willing to pay these increased costs.