Published: 19 December 2014
Slight increase in the turnover of the environmental goods and services sector in 2013
The environmental goods and services sector grew slightly in 2013 compared with the previous year. The environmental goods and services sector refers to a business activity related to production, which is based on prevention of environmental pollution or saving of natural resources. The combined turnover of the environmental goods and services sector was EUR 24 billion in 2013, of which manufacturing industries represented a little over one-half. There were small changes in the production structure of the environmental goods and services sector compared to 2012, in 2013 the production of the environmental goods and services sector decreased in manufacturing industries but increased in construction and service industries. These data derive from Statistics Finland's statistics on the environmental goods and services sector.
Turnover of the environmental goods and services sector by industry in 2013
In 2013, the turnover of environmental goods and services in manufacturing industries amounted to EUR 12.6 billion. Sixty-one per cent of this were exports. In these industries, environmental goods and services employed around 39,000 persons in 2013. The biggest producer and employer in the environmental goods and services sector was the metal industry. Environmental goods and services in manufacturing industries include such as the production of machinery, equipment and components that promote material and energy efficiency, utilisation of recycled materials in production, and production of products related to renewable energy production. In addition, it includes installation, repair and maintenance of the above-mentioned products.
In service industries, the turnover of environmental goods and services was EUR 4.9 billion in 2013 and employment was around 29,000 persons. The 2013 figures for service industries' environmental goods and services are not fully comparable with 2012 because the survey concerning 2013 covered trade industries more extensively than before. In service industries, environmental goods and services include, for example, environmental research, planning and consulting services. In addition, environmental goods and services in trade include scrap collection and conversion into secondary raw materials, as well as installation and maintenance of sold heating, plumbing and ventilation systems.
In construction industries, environmental goods and services grew in 2013 compared with 2012. In 2013, the turnover of environmental goods and services in these industries amounted to EUR 2.9 billion and employment to around 14,000 persons. In construction, the production of environmental goods and services is mostly composed of construction activities aimed at saving energy, such as low energy construction, energy efficient renovation building and installation and maintenance of insulation, heat pumps and heat recovery ventilation systems.
The production of water supply and sewerage, waste management and materials recycling industries can for most parts be included in the environmental goods and services sector. The combined turnover of environmental goods and services in these industries was EUR 1.8 billion in 2013. The employment of environmental goods and services in the same year was around 5,000 persons. The 2013 figures for these industries’ environmental goods and services are not fully comparable with 2012 because of the change in data sources.
In energy supply, the production of renewable energy that is related to electricity and heat production is considered environmental goods and services. Separate production of biogas is also included. In 2013, the turnover of environmental goods and services in energy supply amounted to EUR 1.9 billion and employment to around 2,000 persons. The 2013 figures for energy supply’s environmental goods and services are not fully comparable with 2012 because of the change in data sources.
In Finland, the statistics on the environmental goods and services sector are now released for the fifth time. Due to changes in delimitations and partly changes in data sources, the data in this publication are not fully comparable with the data from previous years.
The statistics on environmental goods and services sector were added to the EU Regulation on environmental economic accounts in June 2014 (691/2011 and 538/2014). The regulation obliges EU member countries to produce and deliver statistical data concerning the environmental goods and services sector to the EU in accordance with the Regulation starting from the statistical reference year 2014. This means that the delimitations, classifications, statistical methods and data of the statistics on the environmental goods and services sector will change to some extent in Finland starting from the statistical reference year 2014. The objective of the EU Regulation is to harmonise statistics production in the Member States and make the statistics more comparable in future.
Source: Environmental goods and services sector 2013, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Annika Miettinen 029 551 2747, Jukka Muukkonen 029 551 3224, ymparistoliiketoiminta@stat.fi
Director in charge: Leena Storgårds
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Updated 19.12.2014
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Environmental goods and services sector [e-publication].
ISSN=1799-5108. 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ylt/2013/ylt_2013_2014-12-19_tie_001_en.html