A methodology using option pricing to determine a suitable discount rate in environmental management

With the present analysis the authors propose an approach for determining an adequate discount rate in environmental management problems, more specifically radioactive-waste management. It is shown that the classical Black–Scholes pricing formula can be used for determining the adequate present funding to be set-aside for the future. The average funding is equal to the net present value (NPV) of the future costs, including technical-scenario uncertainties. For taking into account the financial uncertainties, the NPV is identified with the strike price of a European put option, and the asset value in the managed fund is identified with the current price. The risk-free rate is the expected return rate of the portfolio. The paper shows that the adequate present funding can be determined for given multi-generational risk levels and an asset allocation by fixing the discount rate and adding a premium to the NPV of future costs.