Waxing power, waning pollution: The effect of COVID-19 on Russian environmental policymaking

Christopher Hartwell, Vladimir Otrachshenko and Olga Popova

Ecological Economics, 2021, vol. 184, issue C

Abstract: Like most countries globally, COVID-19 continues to have a demonstrable health, economic, and environmental impact on Russia. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible ramifications for environmental quality in Russia during and following the coronavirus pandemic. Our work builds on the framework of Elinor Ostrom, as we argue that the pandemic and subsequent lockdown in Russia has highlighted the need for a more polycentric, de-centralized approach to environmental protection. We provide evidence for this point using a novel econometric strategy: given the tight centralization of environmental policymaking, we proxy for de facto decentralization using the amount of influence a regional governor has at the federal level. Using timely data on pollution in major Russian cities both before and during the pandemic, we employ an instrumental variable analysis which shows that pollution in a particular Russian region is negatively related to the amount of influence a Russian governor has at the federal level. Thus, the more powerful a governor is in their ability to set their own course, the better results they have in environmental quality. We conclude that Russia's environmental policy needs a fundamental rethink – and extensive decentralization – in a post-COVID-19 world.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Environmental policy; Russia; Decentralization; Property rights; Pollution; Elinor Ostrom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H77 P26 Q53 Q58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:184:y:2021:i:c:s0921800921000616

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107003

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