Intergenerational Public Goods: Transnational Considerations

This paper analyzes public goods whose benefits cross countries’ borders and generations. Once provided, transnational intergenerational public goods (TIPGs) are assets that generate benefits for subsequent generations. For treaties involving TIPGs, a coalition of rich developed countries are apt to shoulder more of the provision burden then a coalition of poor developing countries. This burden inequality worsens if the developed countries unilaterally display altruism to future generations; nevertheless, altruistic benefits may offset reduced spillovers. When current generations strategize with respect to future generations, provision and efficiency suffer; however, the hypothesized unequal burden sharing improves somewhat. For alternative aggregator technologies of public supply, these one-sided burdens may be partly ameliorated.