Data and Code for: Money (Not) to Burn: Payments for Ecosystem Services to Reduce Crop Residue Burning.

We test whether payments for ecosystem services (PES) can curb the highly polluting
practice of crop residue burning in India. Standard PES contracts pay participants
after verification that they met a pro-environment condition (clearing fields without
burning). We randomize paying a portion of the money upfront and unconditionally to
address liquidity constraints and farmer distrust, which may undermine the standard
contract’s effectiveness. Incorporating contracts with partial upfront payment increase
compliance by 10 percentage points, which is corroborated by satellite-based burning
measurements. The cost per life saved is $3600 to $5400. The standard PES contract has
no effect on burning.