Public environmental expenditure - February 7, 2012

What share of GDP is the government spending on the environment?

Public environmental expenditure provides an indication of the state’s response to environmental issues. In 2009 the government spent €103.5 million on the environment, up by 9.1 per cent over 2008 (€94.9 million). This expenditure represented 1.8 per cent of GDP, slightly increasing (0.2 per cent) over the 1.6 per cent registered annually between 2006 and 2008.

As in previous years, most (80.5 per cent) of the expenditure was related to solid and liquid waste management, which was almost divided equally between the two. This was followed by 17.4 per cent for the protection of biodiversity and landscape and 1.9 per cent went to environmental protection not elsewhere classified. This last category includes various environmental initiatives and campaigns, funds for green leaders and wardens and matching national funds related to EU projects. Overall, environmental expenditure represented 4.1 per cent of general government expenditure, in comparison with 11.6 per cent that went to economic affairs, such as agriculture, fuel and transport, and 34.3 per cent to social protection.

For more information see The Environment Report Indicators 2009 at www.mepa.org.mt/teri2009.