Environmental protection expenditure, 2007

The survey of environmental expenditures in the mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries provides information about end-of-pipe investments, investments in integrated technology and current expenditures.

Following several years of increases in environmental expenditures, the total in 2007 was NOK 3.8 billion; approximately the same as in 2006.

Solid waste still has the largest expenditures

Solid waste and waste water remain the largest environmental domains, showing a slight increase from 2006 to NOK 1.5 and 1.2 billion respectively in 2007. The expenditures in the air and climate domain decreased from NOK 1.1 to 0.8 billion.

More on current expenditures, less on investments

Current expenditures for environmental protection increased by NOK 138 million to NOK 2.9 billion, primarily in the domains of waste water (NOK 80 million or 9 per cent) and solid waste (NOK 72 million or 6 per cent). Current expenditures on air and climate declined by NOK 36 million (- 8 per cent).

Current expenditures in 2007 accounted for 75 per cent of the total environmental protection expenditures. Since 2003, the share of current expenditures has been between 72 and 78 per cent.

In total, environmental investments decreased by NOK 116 million to NOK 948 million from 2006 to 2007. The decrease was most significant in integrated technology investments (down NOK 82 million to NOK 160 million). However, the single largest decrease was in end-of-pipe investments targeting air and climate emissions (from NOK 588 million to NOK 359 million, minus 39 per cent).

The fraction of investments that covers integrated technology in the production process continued its falling trend, from 49 per cent of total environmental investments in 2002 to 17 per cent in 2007. The reduction from 2006 was particularly large in the waste water domain, from 60 per cent to 21 per cent in 2007. In the air and climate domain, where there was a significant decrease in end-of-pipe investments, the share of integrated technology investments increased by 4 per cent from 2006 to 2007. The share of “other” was approximately the same in 2007 as in 2006 (23 per cent).

The Basic metal industry provided the largest increase in environmental investments

In 2007 as in 2006, the same industries had the largest share of overall environmental expenditures: The Basic metal industry (22 per cent), Food products, beverages and tobacco (21 per cent), Oil refineries and chemicals industry (16 per cent) and Pulp and paper (10 per cent).

There was a certain increase in the current environmental expenditures in the Basic metals industry (12 per cent), whereas the environmental investments grew by a significant 113 per cent to NOK 396 million. The increase was primarily due to investments in end-of-pipe equipment (up NOK 193 million).

Oil refineries and chemicals industry increased its current environmental expenditures by NOK 80 million (23 per cent). At the same time, the environmental investments were reduced by NOK 127 million; a decrease of 39 per cent. In the Pulp and paper industry, there were only small changes in either environmental expenditure category.

Few changes in the environmental share of overall economic activity

Current environmental expenditure comprised NOK 10 per employee overall, unchanged from 2006. Within the recycling industry however, there was a significant increase, from NOK 70 to 98 per employee.

Environmental investments as a fraction of total acquisitions were reduced from 5 to 3 per cent from 2006 to 2007, with a significant decrease in the recycling industry (down 35 to 8 per cent) and non-metallic mineral products (from 12 per cent to nil).

Tables:

• Table 1 Environmental protection investment in manufacturing, mining and quarrying
• Table 2 Current costs for environmental protection in manufacturing, mining and quarry, by industry and environmental domain