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The biodiversity premium

Author

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  • Coqueret, Guillaume
  • Giroux, Thomas
  • Zerbib, Olivier David

Abstract

Focusing on biodiversity risks, we perform an empirical asset pricing analysis and document three main results. First, the factor going long on low biodiversity intensity assets and short on high biodiversity intensity ones as well as the factors based on the biodiversity intensity subcomponents (land use, greenhouse gases—GHG, air pollution, and water pollution) have heterogeneous dynamics but are not spanned by the Fama and French (2015) and carbon factors. Second, the biodiversity factor excluding the GHG subcomponent (ex-GHG) commands a positive risk premium on realized returns and a negative one on expected returns in the sector highly exposed to the double materiality of biodiversity risks (i.e., physical and transition risks). Third, we show that the negative premium of both the biodiversity and the ex-GHG biodiversity factors on expected returns has materialized strongly from 2021 onward and that it amplifies with attention to biodiversity issues and risk aversion.

Suggested Citation

  • Coqueret, Guillaume & Giroux, Thomas & Zerbib, Olivier David, 2025. "The biodiversity premium," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:228:y:2025:i:c:s092180092400332x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108435
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    1. Beverdam, Jesper & Hubacek, Klaus & Scholtens, Bert & Sijtsma, Frans, 2025. "Improving biodiversity resilience requires both public and private finance: A life-cycle analysis of biodiversity finance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    2. Di Tommaso, Caterina & Foglia, Matteo & Pacelli, Vincenzo, 2025. "The impact of biodiversity score on the European firm’s performance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    3. Xin, Wei & Grant, Lewis & Groom, Ben & Zhang, Chendi, 2025. "Noisy biodiversity: The impact of ESG biodiversity ratings on asset prices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    4. Sheng, Xiaohan & Yang, Lin, 2025. "From headlines to earnings: Do biodiversity disclosures tighten analyst forecasts?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 85(PD).
    5. Valente Fernanda & Chen Yujia & Calabrese Raffaella & Cowling Marc & Alessi Lucia, 2026. "Nature-adjusted probability of default for European small and medium enterprises," JRC Working Papers in Economics and Finance 2026-01, Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
    6. Xin, Wei & Grant, Lewis & Groom, Ben & Zhang, Chendi, 2025. "Noisy biodiversity: the impact of ESG biodiversity ratings on asset prices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 128185, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Gan, Yufei, 2025. "When green claims turn brown: The Impact of corporate greenwashing on biodiversity risk in China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    8. Zhang, Jinlong & Zhang, Wei & E, Jiyue, 2025. "The impact of biodiversity regulation on audit pricing − A quasi-natural experiment based on the Green Shield Program," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    9. Flammer, Caroline & Giroux, Thomas & Heal, Geoffrey M., 2025. "Biodiversity finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    10. Li, Jun & Jin, Yihang & Zhou, Peng, 2025. "Do banks price firms' biodiversity risk? Evidence from the Kunming declaration," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    11. Hirschbühl, Dominik & Ceglar, Andrej & Emambakhsh, Tina & Pasqua, Carlo & Cojoianu, Theodor & Qi, Yifan & Rho, Caterina & Hu, Elsie & Petracco, Marco & Biganzoli, Fabrizio & de Jager, Alfred & Herrero, 2025. "The climate-biodiversity-pollution nexus: the pricing of environmental credit risks for European," Working Paper Series 3164, European Central Bank.
    12. Lang, Qiaoqi & Li, Chenyu & Wen, Lixuan & Wu, Hanlin, 2025. "Biodiversity risk and agricultural futures markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    13. Cosma, Simona & Cosma, Stefano & Pennetta, Daniela & Rimo, Giuseppe, 2025. "Does biodiversity matter for firm value?," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).

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