Circular Economy and Value Creation: Sustainable Finance with a Real Options Approach

This paper presents a methodological proposal that integrates the circular economy concept and financial valuation through real options analysis. The Value Hill model of a circular economy provides a representation of the course followed by the value of an asset. Specifically, after the primary use, the life of an asset may be extended by going through four phases: the 4R phases (Reuse, Refurbish, Remanufacture and Recycle). Financial valuation allows us to quantify value creation from firms’ asset circularity under uncertainty, modelled by binomial trees. Furthermore, the 4R phases are valued as real options by applying no-arbitrage opportunity arguments. The major contribution of this paper is to provide a quantitative approach to the value of circularity in a general context that is adaptable to firms’ specific situations. This approach is also useful for translating relevant information for stakeholders and policy makers into something with economic and financial value.