Green Finance (Aug 2023)
Assessing the economic efficiency of green investments in the context of sustainable development of the territory
Abstract
This article proposes theoretical and analytical foundations for the economic assessment of the results of green investments in terms of promoting territorial sustainability. The green investments are presented as resources aimed at reducing the economic damage from environmental pollution through the creation of conditions or direct impact activities. However, the discounting application distorts their significance. The result of real green investment is capital, which is often specific and difficult to assess. It distinguishes them markedly from other investments. Green investments do not require directive advantages, such as a social discount rate. It is necessary to address the results of green investment in terms of their value for the sustainability of socio-economic systems. The accounting of total costs and results for the system when making decisions will allow for reducing territorial exploitation by social groups. Overcoming the discounting contradictions while assessing the economic effectiveness of green investments requires improving the adequacy of green investments results' evaluation in terms of the territory's sustainability transition, the differentiation of discount rates for various results, their costs and the years of their appearance and the use of compounding to assess the accumulation of the total result of a project based on the analysis of its entire life cycle. The study proposes a system for assessing the economic value of the growth of an ecosystem's assimilation potential and the consequences of its decline in relation to the costs of building the assimilation potential, the increase in the maximum allowable load on the ecosystem and the environmental pollution damage. To estimate the economic effect of the growth of an ecosystem's assimilation potential, it is necessary to consider the rate of return for its owner. The results of this study will allow for reducing the assessment distortions and informational limitations of the managerial decision-making process.
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