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The Daily. Monday, December 4, 2000
Businesses comprising Canada's environment industry derived $14.3 billion from activities directly related to the environment in 1998. This total accounted for 58% of their total revenues; the remaining 42% came from revenues derived from activities not directly related to the environment.
Three product categories accounted for this total. Environmental services accounted for 44%, surpassing the goods category, which accounted for 40%, and which had been the industry's top performer in previous years. Environment-related construction services comprised the remaining 16%.
A total of 6,294 establishments engaged, in whole or in part, in environment-related activities in 1998. (The total revenue of $14.3 billion cannot be easily compared to the total for previous years because the group of establishments has grown, and because of a switch in industry classifications from the Standard Industrial Classification to the North American Industry Classification System.)
The environment industry is made up of businesses operating in a variety of industries that produce goods and services that are used or can be used to measure, prevent, limit or correct environmental damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems related to waste, noise and ecosystems. The industry also produces "eco-efficient" technologies that decrease material inputs, recover valuable by-products and reduce energy consumption.
Four industry groups led Canada's environment industry, accounting for a combined share of nearly three-quarters of total environmental revenues in the business sector. Wholesale trade accounted for 22%, waste management and remediation services 21%, construction 16% and engineering services 15%.
At the provincial level, environmental firms in each province saw an increase in environmental revenues; most of the growth was fuelled by environmental services. As in the previous years, the biggest earners of environmental revenues were businesses in Ontario, which earned $6 billion, and Quebec ($3.3 billion). Other top performers were businesses in Alberta ($1.9 billion) and British Columbia ($1.8 billion).
Export markets represented 8% of environmental revenues. Total environmental export revenues in 1998 reached $1.2 billion, mostly in the form of environmental goods ($973.4 million). The United States remained the biggest export market for Canada's environment industry, producing revenues of $857.8 million, followed by Asia ($139.2 million) and Europe ($65.7 million).
The report Environment industry: Business sector, 1998 (16F0008XIE, free) is now available on Statistics Canada's Web site (www.statcan.ca). On the Products and services page, choose Free publications. A paper version of this publication is also available for a fee.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact the Information Officer and ask for the person responsible for the Environment Industry Survey, 1998 (613-951-0297; fax: 613-951-0634), Environment Accounts and Statistics Division.