Environmental protection investments began to grow in 2018

The combined environmental protection expenditure in Finland's public sector amounted to EUR 760 million in 2018. Environmental protection services and investments used by enterprises amounted to slightly over EUR 2,900 million. Households’ environmental protection expenditure totalled close on EUR 900 million. These data appear from Statistics Finland's statistics on environmental protection expenditure. The statistics belong to the EU’s Regulation on European environmental economic accounts and cover the public sector, households, mining and quarrying, manufacturing as well as energy supply, and water and waste management.

Use of and investments in environmental protection services by mining and quarrying, manufacturing and energy supply by target in 2014 to 2018

In 2018, mining and quarrying, manufacturing and energy supply spent EUR 685 million in total on environmental protection, of which investments amounted to EUR 318 million. Environmental protection expenditure decreased slightly from 2017. Expenditure directed at protection of ambient air and climate was highest, as has mainly been the case also in previous years. Other environmental protection expenditure decreased considerably from 2017 but was still clearly higher in 2018 than in 2014 to 2016. Other environmental protection expenditure is mainly comprised of soil and surface water protection and research and development related to the environment. The share of waste management was only 12 per cent of all expenditure. The small share is explained by enterprises outsourcing waste management, in which case the expenditure is directed to the waste management industry. Enterprises operating in waste management are included in the sector of full-time producers of environmental protection services.

Allocation of environmental protection expenditure by sector in 2016 to 2018

Sector	2016	2017	2018
Public Sector	..	..	..
Total	675	743	760
Consumption	333	376	388
Investments	16	21	20
Current and capital transfers, net (paid-received)	326	346	352
Industry (TOL 05-39)	..	..	..
Total	2 754	2 750	2 939
Consumption	2 048	2 136	2 286
Investments	706	613	653
Current and capital transfers, net (paid-received)	..	..	..
Households	..	..	..
Total	836	856	891
Consumption	836	856	891
Current and capital transfers, net (paid-received)	..	..	..

Among enterprises, most environmental protection services were used in water and waste management, EUR 1,920 million, most of which was directed to waste management expenditure. Second most environmental protection services were used in manufacturing, EUR 244 million. Of manufacturing industries, the metal industry used most environmental protection services.

Development of environmental protection investments in Finland and in the area of the European Union in 2014 to 2018

Starting from 2014, the development of environmental protection investments has been clearly more positive in Finland than in other EU Member States. Environmental protection investments in Finland's entire economy made an upturn again after the drop in 2017. The growth occurred in the industries of water and waste management and energy supply. By contrast, the environmental protection investments in manufacturing made a downturn. In 2018, most investments in environmental protection were made by water and waste management, amounting to EUR 335 million, which covers around one-half of total investments. Second most investments were made in the metal industry and energy supply, both of which invested EUR 71 million.

The concepts and definitions of the statistics are based on EU Regulation (No 691/2011 and 538/2014) on European environmental economic accounts and on Eurostat's manuals.

Source: Environmental protection expenditure accounts 2018, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Antti Hörkkö 029 551 3035

Head of Department in charge: Mari Ylä-Jarkko

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Updated 29.10.2020

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Environmental protection expenditure accounts [e-publication].
ISSN=2489-6071. 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 17.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ympsm/2018/ympsm_2018_2020-10-29_tie_001_en.html