Econnections: Environmental protection expenditures

Environmental protection expenditures

Concern over the environmental impact of economic activity has resulted in significant spending on environmental protection in recent years. Canadians might well ask:

• Who is spending to protect the environment?
• What are they buying?
• How much are they spending?
• Is spending going up or down?

These are important questions. The answers are one way of gauging society's reaction to the environmental effects of economic activity. Econnections responds with the following indicators:

• Pollution abatement and control expenditures in the government sector
• Environmental protection expenditures in the business sector

The Pollution abatement and control expenditures in the government sector indicator tracks current and capital spending by all levels of government to prevent and control pollution. Included are expenditures on sewage treatment, solid waste management, other pollution control and environmental administration. Similar information for industry is presented in the Environmental protection expenditures in the business sector indicator.

Did you know...

Local governments are responsible for most public spending on pollution abatement and control. In 1998, municipalities devoted near $4 billion to pollution management of sewage and solid waste. This amount represented about five percent of their overall budgets, approximately the same share as in the 1960's.