Environmental Collaborative Governance, Pollution Transfer and Institutional Constraints

Last registered on September 25, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Environmental Collaborative Governance, Pollution Transfer and Institutional Constraints
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019776
Initial registration date
September 19, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 25, 2026, 10:01 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

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Primary Investigator

Name
wenjing cui
Affiliation
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2026-06-09
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Environment & Energy, Governance
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
TThis study examines how neighboring regions can reduce pollution when they compete to attract industry and pollution crosses regional borders. Participants act as regional decision-makers and choose how strictly to regulate pollution, balancing economic benefits, environmental harm, and regulatory costs. We compare five settings: no additional policy, compensation for environmental protection, joint assessment of regional pollution, and minimum regulatory standards with either low or high penalties. The study will recruit 240 participants across 30 sessions, with each participant completing 30 decision rounds. We examine how these policies affect regulatory choices, the location of polluting industry, pollution levels, and participants’ earnings.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
cui, wenjing. 2026. "Environmental Collaborative Governance, Pollution Transfer and Institutional Constraints." AEA RCT Registry. September 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19776-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The primary outcomes are environmental regulation intensity in Regions A and B, the regulation gap between regions, Region B’s share of polluting industry, and total regional pollution burden. Secondary outcomes include compliance with minimum standards, deviations below those standards, regional payoffs, and social welfare.
Intervention Start Date
2026-06-09
Intervention End Date
2026-10-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The key outcomes are environmental regulation intensity in each region, the regulation gap between regions, Region B’s share of polluting industry, and total regional pollution burden. Secondary outcomes include compliance with minimum standards, the magnitude of noncompliance, regional payoffs, and social welfare.

the regulation gap between the two matched regions;
the distribution of polluting industries across regions;
each region’s pollution burden and total regional pollution;
compliance with the minimum regulation standards in the two standard treatments;
participants’ round-level and cumulative payoffs; and
changes in regulation choices over the 30 rounds.
The central treatment effects concern whether ecological compensation, joint pollution assessment, and minimum standards with low or high penalties increase regulation intensity and reduce pollution relative to the baseline.


Our primary outcome is the environmental regulation intensity chosen by each participant in each round, measured on a scale from 0 to 100. We will examine this outcome separately for Regions A and B and compare average choices across the five treatments.
Secondary outcomes include:

the regulation gap between the two matched regions;
the distribution of polluting industries across regions;
each region’s pollution burden and total regional pollution;
compliance with the minimum regulation standards in the two standard treatments;
participants’ round-level and cumulative payoffs; and
changes in regulation choices over the 30 rounds.
The central treatment effects concern whether ecological compensation, joint pollution assessment, and minimum standards with low or high penalties increase regulation intensity and reduce pollution relative to the baseline.



Our primary outcome is the environmental regulation intensity chosen by each participant in each round, measured on a scale from 0 to 100. We will examine this outcome separately for Regions A and B and compare average choices across the five treatments.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We conduct a 30-round laboratory experiment in which participants represent one of two neighboring regions and choose an environmental regulation intensity from 0 to 100. Participants are randomly assigned to fixed regional roles and one of five treatments: baseline, ecological compensation, joint environmental assessment, a minimum standard with a low penalty, or a minimum standard with a high penalty. Choices jointly determine industrial location, pollution, regulatory costs, and payoffs. We compare regulatory choices, pollution outcomes, compliance, and payoffs across treatments.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Participants will be recruited online. After entering the study, they will be randomly assigned by computer to one of the five treatments and to a fixed regional role (Region A or Region B). Participants will be randomly rematched within each session in every round.
Randomization Unit
The treatment is randomized at the experimental-session level. Within each session, participants are randomly assigned at the individual level to a fixed role—Region A or Region B—and are randomly rematched into Region A–Region B pairs in each round.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
30 experimental sessions (6 sessions per treatment across 5 treatments).
Sample size: planned number of observations
240 participants across 30 experimental sessions, generating 7,200 participant-round observations and 3,600 matched-pair-round observations.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Baseline: 6 sessions, 48 participants.
Ecological compensation: 6 sessions, 48 participants.
Joint assessment: 6 sessions, 48 participants.
Minimum standard with a high penalty: 6 sessions, 48 participants.
Minimum standard with a low penalty: 6 sessions, 48 participants.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan