Public environmental expenditure - August 28, 2012

What share of GDP is government spending on the environment?

Public environmental expenditure provides an indication of the government’s budget allocation towards addressing environmental issues.

In 2010, the government spent €132 million on the environment (based on Eurostat’s Classification of the Functions of Government), 30 per cent more than in 2009 (€101.7 million). This expenditure represented 2.1 per cent of GDP, up from 1.7 per cent in 2009.

In line with the trend over the previous years, most (79.4 per cent) of the government’s environmental expenditure was related to solid and liquid waste management. The protection of biodiversity and landscape (this category includes Mepa’s Environment Directorate expenses) absorbed 16.5 per cent of environmental expenditure, while 2.9 per cent went to environmental protection not elsewhere classified.

The latter category includes various environmental initiatives and campaigns, funds for green leaders and green wardens and matching national funds related to EU projects. Overall, environmental expenditure represented five per cent of the government’s spending in 2010, up from four per cent in 2009, while 11 per cent went to economic affairs, such as agriculture and transport, and 34.3 per cent to social protection.

For more information see The Environment Report Indicators 2010-2011 at www.mepa.org.mt/teri2010-2011.