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Stranded fossil-fuel assets translate into major losses for investors in advanced economies

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Semieniuk, Gregor 
Holden, Philip 
Mercure, Jean-Francois 
Salas, Pablo 
Pollitt, Hector 

Abstract

The distribution of ownership of transition risk associated with stranded fossil-fuel assets remains poorly understood. We calculate that global stranded assets as present value of future lost profits in the upstream oil and gas sector exceed US$1 trillion under plausible changes in expectations about the effects of climate policy. We trace the equity risk ownership from 43,439 oil and gas production assets through a global equity network of 1.8 million companies to their ultimate owners. Most of the market risk falls on private investors, overwhelmingly in OECD countries, including substantial exposure through pension funds and financial markets. The ownership distribution reveals an international net transfer of more than 15% of global stranded asset risk to OECD-based investors. Rich country stakeholders therefore have a major stake in how the transition in oil and gas production is managed, both as ongoing supporters of the fossil-fuel economy and potentially exposed owners of stranded assets.

Description

Keywords

Article, /706/4066/4098, /704/106/694/682, /706/689/159, article

Journal Title

Nature Climate Change

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1758-678X
1758-6798

Volume Title

12

Publisher

Nature Research
Sponsorship
NERC (via Open University) (AMS-724409 CLS-380-25)