Waste management accounts for bulk of corporate spending on nature protection
The metal industry has been spending more on environmental protection measures.
Keystone / Alessandro Crinari
Swiss companies continue to spend heavily on waste disposal and water treatment.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/sm
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%.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
Swiss martyr beatified in Barcelona by Catholic Church
This content was published on
François-Benjamin May (1870-1909), a member of the Marist Brothers congregation, has been recognised as a 'blessed' by the Catholic Church.
Prevention and tech could help save billions on Swiss healthcare costs, says Deloitte
This content was published on
By focusing on prevention and technology, it would be possible to reduce Switzerland's healthcare bill by CHF30 billion a year by 2040, according to Deloitte Switzerland.
Environment director warns of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland
This content was published on
The director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has warned of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland in an interview with SonntagsBlick on Sunday.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
This content was published on
The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss increasingly concerned about quality of the environment
This content was published on
Dirt, noise, radiation, climate, loss of species: the Swiss population believes that environmental pollution has increased and continues to increase.
This content was published on
Swiss environmental spending has risen 45% in the last eighteen years, while the number of people employed in the sector has almost doubled.
This content was published on
An illustrated volume containing some of the first colour images of Swiss landscapes traces the beginnings of research into ecosystems.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.