Les dépenses pour la protection de l’environnement

• Waste management: collection, sorting and processing of waste produced by public administrations, households and businesses, accounting for 22 billion euros. • Wastewater management: collection and treatment of wastewater, installation and maintenance of treatment plants or decentralized sanitation systems, accounting for 17 billion euros.

• Outdoor air protection: reduction of atmospheric emissions, acquisition of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, deployment of charging stations, installation of fume treatment systems in businesses, accounting for 8.3 billion euros. • Biodiversity and landscape protection: preservation and restoration of natural habitats, rehabilitation of degraded areas, programs to reintroduce endangered species, management of protected areas, accounting for 3.8 billion euros. • Soil and water protection and remediation: pollution prevention, monitoring of soil and water quality, remediation of polluted sites and soils, accounting for 2.3 billion euros. • Noise and vibration control: acoustic insulation of buildings, installation of noise barriers, accounting for 2.8 billion euros.

• Management of radioactive waste from civil sources: management of spent fuel, conditioning, storage and disposal of radioactive waste, monitoring and information, accounting for 1 billion euros. • Research and development (R&D) for environmental protection: research work, development of technologies and innovations aimed at preventing, measuring, reducing or eliminating various forms of pollution, accounting for 4.2 billion euros. • Cross-cutting environmental protection activities: general administration expenses incurred by the State, local authorities and public institutions, expenses of environmental protection associations, accounting for 5.6 billion euros.

• State and local authorities (34%) Public administrations finance a significant portion of environmental protection spending. Public institutions such as ADEME (Agence de la Transition écologique), the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) and water agencies provide financial support to actions carried out by local authorities, businesses or associations. • Businesses (36%) Businesses contribute to financing environmental protection through the purchase and installation of dedicated equipment, as well as payment for waste management and wastewater treatment services. • Households (29%) Households participate in financing environmental protection through payment for waste management and wastewater services, through their purchases of environmentally friendly goods and through their contributions and donations to associations. • European Union (1%) The European Union contributes in the form of subsidies to public administrations or businesses, particularly in the agricultural sector.

This distribution has changed little since 2000, despite a constant increase in spending. Environmental protection spending includes current spending (operation of specialized public institutions, staff salaries, equipment maintenance, payment for wastewater treatment services by households and businesses) and capital spending (construction of infrastructure by local authorities, acquisition of equipment by businesses, etc.). Approximately two-thirds of spending is current spending, particularly operating costs.

• The breakdown of spending financing varies by sector: • biodiversity protection is mainly financed by local public actors (local authorities and water agencies); • wastewater treatment and noise control are financed primarily by households; • research and development in environmental protection and waste management (including radioactive waste) are financed essentially by businesses.

• Human activities place increasing pressure on the environment. Public administrations, businesses and households devote significant resources each year to environmental protection, to prevent harm, limit its effects or repair damage when it cannot be avoided. • Between 2000 and 2023, spending on goods and services for environmental protection increased at an average rate of 3.8% per year (in current prices), a rate higher than GDP growth (2.9% per year over the same period).

In 2022, spending on environmental protection services (excluding purchases of environmentally friendly goods such as electric cars) represents 2% of GDP in France. With this share, France ranks 9th among the 27 EU member states, at a level close to the European average.