Environment: businesses and households spend more, the state less
In 2009, overall spending on environmental protection increased 1,2% to 45 billion euros. But those of the State fell by 1,4%.
Are speeches in favor of the environment followed up on? The deputies must publish today the progress report on the application of the law Grenelle, of which a hundred decrees are either published, or in phase of being it, on a total of 197. But, on the side of the expenses committed, another way of measuring everyone's will, the results are more mixed. The report of the Accounts and Environmental Economy Committee published yesterday shows that in 2009 (latest statistics available), when Jean-Louis Borloo was still Minister of Ecology, 44,9 billion euros in expenses were generated by environmental protection activities. A figure up 1,2%, whereas it had increased by 4,8% in 2008. Admittedly, gross domestic product fell in 2009 by 2,6%, but these expenses remained at 2,35% of GDP. Not enough to start the ecological conversion of the economy mentioned for years.
Decrease in recovery
Contrary to popular belief, companies were the first to participate in financing in 2009, with € 17,4 billion in spending, a figure up 2,4%. The public administration has paid 15,2 billion, a decrease of 1,4% compared to the previous year! And households participated to the tune of 12 billion, (+ 2,9%). The balance is provided by the European Union.
For years, France has been trying to catch up on wastewater treatment in order to comply with Community directives on environmental protection. For the first time, this expenditure fell 1,6% in 2009 to 13,3 billion. This trend can be explained by the effective realization of investments in previous years, but also by the drop in water consumption by individuals by 1,5% per year between 2004 and 2008. The mobilization of water resources stands at 8,7 billion, a level close to 2008.
The second major item is waste management, stable at 14 billion, half of which is devoted to municipal waste. 2009 was marked by the drop in recovery activity (cardboard, steel) and by a drop in investment in recycling activities. In 2009, renewable energy producers received 1,2 billion euros in public aid, not to mention the tax reductions granted to agrofuels. As for biodiversity, it remained the poor relation with 1,7 billion (+ 5%), three-quarters insured by the public authorities. The contribution of businesses in favor of biodiversity increased from 500 million euros in 2008 to 360 million in 2009.
J. CH., Les Echos
Source: http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-sect ... 187287.php
Since 2009, the crisis has worsened considerably, I assume that these figures have been revised downwards since ... ecology and the environment are not really the priority in times of crisis ...