Predicting Participation in Environmental Treaties: A World‐System Analysis*

Which countries tend to sign international environmental treaties and why? This study tests the ability of quantitative cross‐national political and economic analysis to predict participation in international environmental agreements over the period 1963–1987. Cross‐sectional ordinary least squares regressions suggest that poor, highly indebted countries that are dependent on very few trading partners and that have repres‐sive regimes are far more likely to be nonsignatories. The results suggest strategies for increasing the likelihood that nations will ratify hture environmental treaties.