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Evaluating sustainability actions under uncertainty: the role of improbable extreme scenarios

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  • Christian Gollier

    (University of Toulouse-Capitole)

Abstract

An optimality condition for sustainability actions under discounted expected utility is that, ex post, we should almost surely regret having adjusted them too much for risk. In other words, ex post, one would almost surely feel regret for "excess" precautionary saving, excess insurance and hedging coverage, or for excess risk-bearing. Moreover, for marginal investments whose impacts materialize in t years, t tending to infinity, their state-contingent present value tends to zero almost surely, in spite of the fact that their expected value is one. The value of sustainable actions is thus mostly derived from very improbable extreme scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Gollier, 2024. "Evaluating sustainability actions under uncertainty: the role of improbable extreme scenarios," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 49(1), pages 59-74, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:genrir:v:49:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s10713-023-00095-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s10713-023-00095-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Christian Gollier, 2008. "Discounting with fat-tailed economic growth," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 171-186, December.
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    6. Gollier, Christian & Jullien, Bruno & Treich, Nicolas, 2000. "Scientific progress and irreversibility: an economic interpretation of the 'Precautionary Principle'," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 229-253, February.
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    10. Robert J. Barro, 2006. "Rare Disasters and Asset Markets in the Twentieth Century," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(3), pages 823-866.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Precautionary principle; Precautionary saving; Sustainability; Asset pricing; Extreme events;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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