Press release: 12.246-086/20

Environmental industry 2018: €36.9 bn output and 182 963 employees

Vienna, 2020-05-27 – In 2018, the Austrian environmental industry employed 182 963 people and achieved an output of €36.9 bn. The gross value added created by the environmental industry reached €14.3 bn, environmental exports amounted to €11.3 bn. These are the main results of Statistics Austria on the environmental goods and services sector (EGSS).

If public transport is also taken into account, although it is not part of the EGSS, 211 204 persons were active in the environmental industry.

As in previous years, the most important environmental domain was management of energy resources. This domain is mainly focused on renewable energies as well as heat/energy saving and management and generated 48.6% of the total environmental output, 43.1% of the environmental gross value added as well as 66.1% of the environmental exports with 34.3% of all employees in the environmental industry. The subdomain renewable energy includes, for example, the production of renewable energy and heat, the production and installation of renewable energy technologies as well as bio fuels. The subdomain heat/energy saving and management includes e.g. the production of low energy buildings and insulation materials, energy consulting and thermal rehabilitation of buildings.

Further important environmental domains were protection of ambient air and climate, wastewater management, waste management as well as protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface water.

For more detailed information and further information concerning the Austrian environmental industry please refer to our Website.

Information on methods, definitions: The environmental goods and services sector summarises goods, technologies and services that measure, control, restore, prevent, treat, minimise, research and sensitise environmental damages to air, water and soil as well as problems related to waste, noise, biodiversity and landscapes. This includes "cleaner" technologies, goods and services that prevent or minimise pollution. In addition, resource depletion should be largely avoided or at least reduced through resource-efficient goods, technologies and services or even measured, controlled and investigated. 
Public transport is explicitly excluded from the Eurostat definition. But since it is more environmentally friendly than private transport, the employees are reported as additional information.

 

Environmental Goods and Services Sector 2018
UnitEnvironmental Goods and Services Sector following EU-VO 538/20141)Public transport2)
Environmental outputEnvironmental gross value addedEnvironmental exportsEnvironmental employeesEmployees in public transportEnvironmental employees, public transport included
Million €Million €Million €PersonsPersonsPersons
Environmental Goods and Services Sector in total36.94714.30911.257182.96328.2413)211.204
including e.g.      
Protection of ambient air and climate2.5359681.48514.139..
Wastewater management3.2441.58730514.129..
Waste management4.3811.52254219.236..
Protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface water2.5991.34529236.295..
Management of energy resources17.9726.1727.43762.835..
    of which: renewable energy9.4953.2264.17829.069..
    of which: heat/energy saving and management7.9992.7812.98832.359..
    of which: minimisation of the intake of fossil resources for uses other than energy production4781652711.407..
S: STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Environmental Accounts. – 1) The Eurostat definition of EGSS comprises goods, technologies and services, but excludes public transport. – 2) Public transport includes interurban passenger rail transport, freight rail transport and the relevant shares of other passenger land transport. – 3) Data for 2018 is not available by now, therefore data for 2017 is taken into account. – "." = figure is zero. – Rounding differences were not cleared.

For further inquiries please contact Directorate Spatial Statistics, Statistics Austria:  
Milla NEUBAUER, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7230 resp. milla.neubauer@statistik.gv.at and  
Sacha BAUD, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7304 resp. sacha.baud@statistik.gv.at

Media owner, producer and publisher: 
STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Federal Institution under Public Law 
1110 Vienna, Austria, Guglgasse 13, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7777 
presse@statistik.gv.at  
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