{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Responsibility of Investing","title":"Decommissioning brown assets: turning environmental liabilities into transition opportunities","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2489,"description":"In this episode, Nathan Fabian, Chief Sustainable Systems Officer at the PRI, examines what happens to the world’s ageing, high-emitting infrastructure—and why the way we decommission these assets is central to a just and orderly transition. He is joined by Julien Halfon, Head of Corporate and Pensions Solutions at BNP Paribas Asset Management, whose team estimates there are at least US$7.5 trillion in unfunded decommissioning costs embedded in today’s energy and industrial systems. Together, they explore how responsible investors can move from walking away from “brown” assets to actively stewarding them through end of life, clean-up and repurposing.OverviewThe conversation begins with Julien outlining the research behind the US $7.5–8 trillion decommissioning liability estimate, drawing on global studies from regulators, multilateral institutions and sectoral assessments. He explains how decommissioning liabilities emerged from the nuclear sector and is now a critical but underfunded obligation across oil and gas, mining, coal power and even renewables. Only a small fraction—mainly in nuclear—has been pre-funded, leaving governments, taxpayers and future generations exposed.Nathan and Julien then unpack why responsible investors cannot simply divest from polluting assets and “leave the mess behind”. In a diversified portfolio, the costs of unmanaged decommissioning, stranded infrastructure and damaged communities reverberate across the wider economy. The discussion reframes decommissioning as part of long-term stewardship: engaging through the full lifecycle of assets, recognising decommissioning as a real liability, and using innovative instruments such as transition and decommissioning bonds to convert environmental debts into investable, long-term solutions.Detailed CoverageThe decommissioning gapJulien explains BNP Paribas Asset Management’s estimate of roughly US$8 trillion in decommissioning liabilities, of which around US$7.5 trillion remains unfunded...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/L6mO_rGCcHVdmsXnDG7OguQrs7e4l3o-iptSVtpAbL4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zNjhh/NmViMjNkN2Q1NTk4/ZDkzZDZmNDY0N2Y0/MzU1Ni5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}