Waste management accounts for bulk of corporate spending on nature protection

Swiss companies continue to spend heavily on waste disposal and water treatment.

In 2018, their biggest environment-related expenditures were waste management CHF5.2 billion (+4% compared to 2016), and wastewater (CHF3 billion, +6%). Together, these two areas accounted for 67% of national corporate spending on environmental protection in 2018, announced the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday.

Expenditure on soil and water protection, species and landscape conservation, air pollution control and climate protection increased only slightly, by around CHF100 million to 200 million each.

Spending on environmental protection has actually decreased in many industrial sectors – for example in the textile and food industries. By contrast, the metal industry has been investing more.

Total annual corporate spending on environmental protection in Switzerland adds up to CHF12.4 billion ($13 billion) – or 1.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP). In comparison, spending was CHF8.5 billion in 2000. But as a percentage of GDP, it has remained rather stable, fluctuating between 1.7% and 1.9%.