A Legacy Through Millennia
研究利用中国宗族网络数据，发现非正式制度（以历史孔庙数量为工具变量）意外地增加了县级碳排放，原因在于腐败和环境执法不力，而地方领导层的性别多样性可缓解这一负面效应。
<h3>Abstract</h3> Societal functioning needs both formal and informal institutions. However, the existing body of literature predominantly emphasizes the influence of formal institutions on climate change, often neglecting the role of informal mechanisms. This article draws on clan networks in China to investigate the influence of informal institutions on county-level carbon emissions. Using the historical number of Confucian temples as an instrumental variable, the findings suggest that informal institutions contribute to an unexpected increase in carbon emissions. This effect is attributed to corruption and deficiencies in environmental enforcement. Gender diversity among local leadership mitigates the adverse effects associated with informal institutions.