Public sector environmental protection expenditure increased slightly in 2012

According to Statistics Finland, public sector environmental protection expenditure totalled some EUR 1.5 billion in 2012. Compared to previous years, the expenditure increased slightly. Central government’s share of the expenditure was 54 per cent and that of municipalities and joint municipal authorities was 46 per cent.

Environmental protection expenditure by public sector, 2007–2012

A majority of the public sector environmental protection expenditure, EUR 778 million, was operating expenditure. Subsidies for environmental protection amounted to EUR 508 million and investment expenditure stood at EUR 193 million. The amount of paid subsidies grew by EUR 77 million from the year before, which was mainly caused by subsidies for renewable energy that were taken into use so that the EU's climate targets could be achieved. Operating expenditure increased by EUR 60 million compared to the previous year. By contrast, EUR 12 million less was spent on investments than in the year before. Almost one-half of the environmental protection expenditure was financed with income related to environmental protection.

Data on public sector environmental protection expenditure are released consolidated, so money transfers between central and local government have been deducted from the joint items of the public sector. Operating expenditure does not include interests and depreciations.

The subsidies for environmental protection from the public sector were mainly paid by the government. Investment and other subsidies were the government's largest environmental protection expenditure item, EUR 512 million. The government paid most subsidies as environmental subsidies for agriculture. However, a significant portion of these subsidies was financed by the European Union. The government spent EUR 277 million on operating expenditure of environmental protection. This consisted mostly of administrative and acquisition expenditure. The government’s investments in environmental protection amounted to EUR 20 million, which was nearly the same amount as in 2011.

A majority of the environmental protection expenditure of municipalities and joint municipal authorities and enterprises they own, or EUR 500 million, was spent on operating expenditure. Municipalities and joint municipal authorities spent EUR 172 million on investments in environmental protection and close on EUR four million on subsidies. Investment expenditure was EUR ten million lower than in the previous year.

In 2012, nearly one-half of public sector environmental protection expenditure was spent on sewage management and water protection. Eleven per cent of the expenditure was used on waste management and five per cent on nature conservation. Good one-third of environmental protection expenditure was directed at administration and other environmental protection, such as climate protection or measures that affect many different environmental domains.

Source: Public sector environmental protection expenditure 2012, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Merja Eskelinen 09 1734 3255, Jukka Muukkonen 09 1734 3224, ymparisto.energia@stat.fi

Director in charge: Leena Storg�rds

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Updated 8.4.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Public sector environmental protection expenditure [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-1599. 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 25.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/jsys/2012/jsys_2012_2014-04-08_tie_001_en.html