Environmental protection expenditure, 2006

This is the first time Statistics Norway publishes statistics on environmental protection expenditure for the period 2002-2006. The oil and gas extraction industry is not included.

From a total of NOK 3.7 billion in 2002, the total environmental protection expenditure fell in 2003 and 2004, followed by a subsequent rise to the 2002 level. The decrease between 2003 and 2004 was caused by lower environmental investments. In the period 2002 to 2006, current environmental protection expenditure accounted for 0.5 per cent of the industries’ total current expenditure. Measured per employee, the current expenditure increased slightly from approximately NOK 8 000 to NOK 10 000 per man year. Environmental investments accounted for 6 per cent of total investments in 2002 and 5 per cent in 2006.

Increase in solid waste and air/climate measures

The environmental protection expenditure in 2006 was equally distributed between waste water, air/climate and solid waste measures. The largest increase from 2005 in both absolute and relative terms was found within solid waste, followed by air/climate.

The main focus is on pollution abatement and control. Expenditure for biological diversity, landscape, soil and ground water only accounted for approximately 1 per cent of the total environmental protection expenditure.

Current expenditure dominates

In 2006, current expenditure for environmental measures equalled NOK 2.7 billion, whereas investments totalled NOK 1.1 billion. The current expenditure thus accounted for two thirds of the total expenditure for environmental protection purposes in the mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries.

The solid waste area accounted for 45 per cent of the current expenditure for environmental protection, followed by waste water (32 per cent). In 2005, the largest fractions were waste water (39 per cent) and solid waste (36 per cent).

Investments in air/climate measures increased from NOK 317 million in 2005 to NOK 660 million. The share of total environmental protection investments rose from 44 per cent to 62 per cent.

Large variations between industries

There are great variations in expenditure between different industries. In 2005 and 2006, three industry sectors accounted for more than half of the total environmental protection expenditure: food products, beverages, tobacco (21 per cent), refineries and chemicals (18 per cent) and basic metals (16 per cent). The refineries and chemicals industry made the biggest investments in both total environment protection measures and within air and climate measures. The pulp and paper industry made the biggest investments in waste water measures.

The companies vary greatly in size and capital intensity, particularly between industries. For example, the recycling industry has the largest share of environmental investment in relation to total acquisitions (investments) as well as the highest current environmental expenditure per employed man year. The food products, beverages and tobacco industry scores lower in both categories despite being the largest in total environmental expenditure.

Tables:

• Table 1 Environmental protection investment in Manufacturing, Mining and Quarrying. 2006
• Table 2 Current costs for environmental protection in manufacturing, mining and quarry, by industry and environmental domain