Unrecognized Assets

Environmental liabilities — even abandoned oil platforms and polluted wetlands — are hidden sources of value.

In the quest to boost their bottom line, a number of enterprises — including the United States Air Force, BP, and International Paper — are finding innovative uses for environmental resources, which are helping transform long-standing liabilities into valuable financial assets. Whether it's placing wind towers on top of under-utilized oil rigs or getting environmental credits for building nature preserves on unused land, the possibilities are as vast as a company's imagination. By conducting rigorous assessments of existing environmental resources, many companies are uncovering hidden sources of revenue.

Booz Allen's Molly Finn, Gary M. Rahl, and William Rowe Jr. are the authors of the strategy+business enews article entitled, "Unrecognized Assets."