15% less environmental protection expenditure by the industry in 2022

In 2022, the environmental protection expenditure by the Belgian mining and quarrying industry and the manufacturing industry have dropped by 15.2%, according to the latest official data from Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. This decrease concerns both current expenditure and investments designed to reduce the industry's environmental impact.
Current expenditure, including labour costs, rent and energy for environmental activities, fell by 9.9%. Total investment in environmental protection decreased by 19.2%.
Integrated investment, which focuses on technologies to prevent pollution at the source, decreased by 37.5%. However, end-of-pipe investments in pollution treatment systems increased by 54.3%. This increase is mainly due to investments in the metallurgy sector to improve air quality.
Current expenditure of the industry on environmental protection
Million euros
Current expenditure | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total industry | 607.6 | 596.6 | 496.4 | 479.5 | 432.2 |
Mining and quarrying | 1.1 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 4.2 | C |
Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco | 39.5 | 37.2 | 46.6 | 50.6 | 58.5 |
Manufacture of textiles, clothing, leather and footwear | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 8.8 |
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 5.1 |
Manufacture of paper and paper products; graphic industry, publishing activities | 3.6 | 2.7 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 22.9 |
Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products | 49.5 | 64.0 | 65.1 | 59.7 | C |
Manufacture of chemicals, rubber and plastic products | 132.6 | 91.9 | 95.4 | 84.8 | 120.6 |
Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 13.3 | 14.0 | 13.3 | 9.1 | 13.7 |
Manufacture of basic metals and manufacture of fabricated metal products | 16.8 | 17.7 | 76.7 | 31.4 | 79.6 |
Manufacture of fabricated metal products, metalworking industry, electrotechnical industry and manufacture of transport equipment and manufacture of furniture | 17.3 | 16.3 | 21.8 | 18.5 | 35.6 |
Electricity, gas, steam supply; | 329.9 | 346.7 | 160.2 | 209.5 | 25.2 |
The industry's current expenditure on environmental protection includes labour costs, rent payments, energy consumption, etc., where the main objective is to prevent, reduce, treat or remove environmental pollution. 2017: The NACE codes (Rev. 2) used are from 5 to 36 nace_ten in 2018 |
Current expenditure of the industry on environmental protection
Million euros (current prices) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenditure (5) = (3) + (4) | 930.7 | 1015.5 | 1038.5 | 998.9 | 940.8 | 1110.8 | 942.4 |
Current expenditure (4) | 515.5 | 483.6 | 607.6 | 596.6 | 496.4 | 479.5 | 432.2 |
Total investments (3) = (1) + (2) | 415.1 | 532.0 | 430.9 | 402.3 | 444.5 | 631.3 | 510.2 |
End-of-pipe investments (2) | 136.5 | 132.4 | 136.2 | 151.6 | 139.0 | 125.9 | 194.3 |
Integrated investments (integrated technology) (1) | 278.6 | 399.5 | 294.7 | 250.7 | 305.5 | 505.4 | 316.0 |
Total industry: the NACE codes (Rev. 2) used are from 5 to 36 nace_ten in 2018 |
Total expenditure on environmental protection
Million euros (current prices) | End-of-pipe investments | Integrated investments | Current expenditure | Current expenditure | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
Total industry | 139.0 | 125.9 | 194.3 | 305.5 | 505.4 | 316.0 | 496.4 | 479.5 | 432.2 | 940.8 | 1110.8 | 942.4 |
Mining and quarrying | 1.4 | C | C | 3.5 | C | C | 2.7 | 4.2 | C | 7.6 | 8.8 | 5.0 |
Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco | 13.6 | 15.2 | 17.3 | 50.3 | 36.3 | 34.2 | 46.6 | 50.6 | 58.5 | 110.6 | 102.2 | 110.0 |
Manufacture of textiles, clothing, leather and footwear | C | 0.4 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 8.8 | 5.9 | 7.2 | 13.2 |
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood | 1.3 | 1.7 | C | 1.1 | 7.0 | C | 3.3 | 1.0 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 9.7 | 19.6 |
Manufacture of paper and paper products; graphic industry, publishing activities | 1.5 | 1.1 | C | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 7.3 | 6.4 | 22.9 | 13.7 | 12.2 | 26.9 |
Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products | C | C | C | 15.2 | C | C | 65.1 | 59.7 | C | 81.2 | 64.5 | 69.8 |
Manufacture of chemicals, rubber and plastic products | 46.7 | 30.3 | 34.6 | 73.8 | 89.4 | 115.6 | 95.4 | 84.8 | 120.6 | 215.9 | 204.5 | 270.8 |
Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products | 4.7 | 1.5 | 9.6 | 13.0 | 15.1 | 11.2 | 13.3 | 9.1 | 13.7 | 31.0 | 25.8 | 34.6 |
Manufacture of basic metals and manufacture of fabricated metal products | 32.7 | 24.0 | 40.8 | 7.2 | 36.9 | 60.7 | 76.7 | 31.4 | 79.6 | 116.5 | 92.3 | 181.1 |
Manufacture of fabricated metal products, metalworking industry, electrotechnical industry and manufacture of transport equipment and manufacture of furniture | 1.4 | 3.7 | 7.9 | 4.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 21.8 | 18.5 | 35.6 | 27.8 | 31.8 | 53.0 |
Electricity, gas, steam supply; | 34.8 | 44.2 | 74.1 | 129.9 | 298.2 | 59.2 | 160.2 | 209.5 | 25.2 | 325.0 | 551.9 | 158.5 |
Guarantee confidential information Source: Statistics Belgium |
Purpose and brief description
The themes of environment and economy, on the one hand, delve deeper into environmental expenditure, both corporate and government, and on the other, discuss the environmental sector as an economic sector.
Population
Belgian State
Periodicity
Annually.
Release calendar
Results available 2 years after the reference period
Break in the statistical series from 2018 onwards
Up until reference year 2017, Statbel considered one enterprise as one legal unit. However, in a globalised economy, this approach did not always ensure that business statistics reflected reality, as enterprises were increasingly structured into enterprise groups. Considering one enterprise = one legal unit was problematic when describing an economic reality or observing an autonomous economic player in its decisions and actions on the market.
To remedy this problem, which affects many European countries, the European Statistical Network (ESSnet) has proposed a more precise definition of the enterprise:
A statistical unit enterprise is an organizational market oriented unit which benefits from sufficient degree of autonomy in decision-making. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. Meaningful data for statistics can be provided for this unit. The enterprise can correspond to a single legal unit (not controlled by any other legal entity), an enterprise group as a set of legal units under common control, or an autonomous part of an enterprise group.
Statbel decided to apply this new definition from the reference year 2018 onwards, which led to a break in the statistical series.
Definitions
Economic activity (NACE-BEL): Official nomenclature with an "X" at the end of the number since the information is only available for 4 positions.
Index of sustainable economic welfare: The ISEW is an adjusted gross domestic product (GDP), which better reflects real economic welfare as perceived by people. The normal GDP does not take into account the contribution of unpaid labour, specifically household labour, or the production of goods and services by the government. Therefore, to household expenditures, as normally included in the GDP calculation, is added an estimate of the value of household labour and the value of public services. On the other hand, "defensive" expenditures, such as the fight against income insecurity, do not really increase welfare but only maintain it. So those expenses are deducted. Finally, the GDP does not take into account income inequality. This is also corrected by the ISEW: when income inequality increases, people's real economic welfare decreases. Moreover, the GDP is blind to long-term economic consequences: economic growth may come at the expense of environmental capital passed on to future generations. The ISEW corrects that deviation by subtracting the depreciation of natural capital.
Creations of enterprises in the environmental sector: NACE rev 1: 2003-2007 (Nace= 14.50+23.30+24.15+37+51.57+90) For 2008 - 2011, the following Nace Rev. 2 are used 37 + 38 + 39 + 46.77: Creations of enterprises subject to VAT
De-registrations of enterprises in the environmental sector; NACE rev 1: 2003-2007 (Nace= 14.50+23.30+24.15+37+51.57+90) For 2008 - 2011, the following Nace Rev. 2 are used 37 + 38 + 39 + 46.77: De-registrations of enterprises subject to VAT
Active enterprises in the environmental sector: NACE rev 1: 2003-2007 (Nace= 14.50+23.30+24.15+37+51.57+90) For 2008 - 2011, the following Nace Rev. 2 are used 37 + 38 + 39 + 46.77: Active VAT-registered units (on 31 December)
Number of people employed in the environmental sector: NACE rev 1: 2003-2007 (Nace= 14.50+23.30+24.15+37+51.57+90) For 2008 - 2011, the following Nace Rev. 2 are used 37 + 38 + 39 + 46.77: Number of persons employed
Public expenditure on environmental protection, by capacity of government: Federal government
Communities and regions
Local authorities
Consolidated total
Public expenditure on environmental protection, by type of expenditure: Investments (Investments (gross) + balance of acquisitions and sales of non-produced non-financial assets.) Consolidated capital transfers Compensation of employees Subsidies (Total expenditure of the federal government, the regions and the communities)
Total expenditure on environmental protection by the industry, by type of expenditure (investments, current expenditure) and by environmental domain (air, water, waste): Overall total of investments and current expenditure by the industry (excluding enterprises with 0 employees (e.g. Self-employed people)).
Environmental sector (eco-enterprises): Turnover figure, total purchases of goods and services, gross investment in common goods and number of persons employed.