Decoupled net present value: protecting assets against climate change risk by consistently capturing the value of resilient and adaptable investments

ABSTRACT There is growing awareness that traditional valuation methods based on discounted cash flows using constant risk-adjusted discount rates struggle to account for climate-related risks when assessing long-term investments in physical assets and infrastructure. Worst yet, such methods fail to consider numerous financial benefits accruing from investment in resilience and adaptation, categorizing such expenditures as sunk costs that reduce investors’ returns. Such traditional valuation methods encourage investors to postpone or forgo entirely investing in resilience and adaptation. The decoupled net present value (DNPV) method incorporates risk and risk-reduction measures into project valuations in clear and compelling financial terms. By quantifying both (i) risk exposures of assets to hazards and (ii) the reduction of such exposure through up-front investments, DNPV recasts the financial impact of risk-reduction measures. Thus, the benefits of risk-reducing investments such as adaptation and resilience can be fully valorized in project-level accounting, removing a significant barrier facing such investments today.