Many companies will need to spend a lot of money reshaping their businesses to help save the planet. Some environmental campaigners say that companies should book all that spending as liabilities today. They argue that booking that spending today would make investors focus on that information and that investors would then put pressure on companies… Continue reading Putting the wrong kinds of numbers in P&L won’t help save the planet
Tag: Environment
Discount rates for very long maturities
A common question about discount rates is how to estimate a discount rate for assets and liabilities with very long maturities. Such a discount rate contains a term premium that cannot be based on evidence and can never be back-tested. As a result, that term premium is not really an estimate, it is just a… Continue reading Discount rates for very long maturities
Emission trading schemes: a fresh look
The most difficult question in accounting for emission trading schemes is deciding what to do with emission trading certificates received free of charge. Does the recipient have a liability on day 1? If not, should it recognise an immediate gain? Previous answers to this question have been unconvincing because they did not reflect the nature… Continue reading Emission trading schemes: a fresh look