Environmental protection expenditure, 2005

Current costs amounted to NOK 2.5 of the NOK 3.4 billion spent on environmental protection in 2005, while investments amounted to NOK 0.8 billion. This represents 0.5 per cent of total current costs and about 5 per cent of total gross investments. The figures are based on a sample survey, and are grossed up to cover the entire industry. The figures should be used with caution due to a considerable degree of variation. The oil and gas industry on the continental shelf is not included in the figures.

The current costs for 2004 have been revised recently, and have been adjusted down from NOK 2.8 billion to NOK 2.4 billion. The adjustments were made for the two domains wastewater and biodiversity and landscape based on corrections of previously reported figures. The investment figures for 2004 have not been revised

Majority goes to waste water and solid waste ...

The majority of the environmental protection expenditures in 2005 went to activities related to waste water and solid waste. Expenditures for wastewater and solid waste came to NOK 2.3 billion, or about 70 per cent of the total environmental protection expenditures for the manufacturing, mining and quarry industries. The figures for 2004 were also clearly dominated by these two domains. Furthermore, surveys carried out in other countries show that the main part of the environmental expenditures goes to wastewater and solid waste. This may be because all establishments have expenditures for wastewater and solid waste, but also the fact that expenditures for these two domains are relatively easy to identify.

... and a considerable part to air/climate

Measures for reducing air pollution and green house gas emissions also account for a large share of the total expenditures for environmental protection activities. In 2005, such measures accounted for 24 per cent, compared with 20 per cent in 2004. Measures related to air/climate made up the highest share of the investments. The reason for this may be the great focus on climate emissions in the wake of the Kyoto protocol and the demand for reduced emissions from establishments. The sectors petroleum products and chemical products, other non-metallic mineral products and basic metals made the highest investments in air/climate measures.

The figures for 2005 show that about 90 per cent of the environmental expenditures are related to waste water, solid waste and air/climate. Compared with the figures for 2004, the distribution by domain is fairly stable, but air/climate's share of the total increased somewhat. It is too early to say if this is the start of a new trend, however climate issues have received much attention in recent years. The investments made in air/climate in the past few years will probably also lead to higher current costs for this domain in the future.

In all sectors of the manufacturing, mining and quarrying industries the current costs are higher than the investments. This was the case in both 2004 and 2005.

The sectors food products, beverages and tobacco, and basic metals accounted for the largest part of the environmental expenditures, while refineries and chemicals sector accounted for the largest share of the investments (about 30 per cent) in both 2004 and 2005. Pulp and paper had the fourth largest expenditures in both years. In total, these sectors account for about 70 per cent of the environmental protection expenditures in the manufacturing, mining and quarrying industries. In the other sectors the total expenditures are below NOK 200 million.

Examples of environmental protection measures taken in 2005 are new ovens, furnaces, tanks and containers. In addition, cleaning, filtering and recycling systems were changed.

Tables:

• Table 1 Environmental protection investment in Manufacturing, Mining and Quarrying. 2005
• Table 2 Current costs for environmental protection in manufacturing, mining and quarry, by industry and environmental domain