Environmental Treaties Database

What makes some environmental agreements succeed while others fail? This research project, led by Dr. Anna Klis from NIU’s Department of Economics, aims to answer this question by building a comprehensive database of legal mechanisms in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

Research Contribution:

• Reading and coding 600+ treaty texts to identify successful commitment structures
• Analyzing minimum participation constraints, equal treatment provisions, and cost-sharing mechanisms
• Testing game theory predictions with real-world treaty outcomes

Engagement for New Students:

• Gain experience reading and coding complex legal documents
• Learn database design and management
• Explore applications of AI/LLMs for text analysis