Environmental goods and services sector, activities; national accounts

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Environmental activities Periods Labour input of employed persons (1 000 years of employment) Output at basic prices (mln euros) Gross value added at basic prices (mln euros)
Total sector environment 2001* 117.1 18,261 7,906
2005* 110.5 20,553 9,071
2010* 129.4 27,957 12,416
2015* 135.1 35,719 15,287
2018* 160.2 42,499 18,145
2019* 172.0 45,620 19,881
2020* 184.5 47,292 20,829
Energy systems and energy conservation 2001* 10.9 2,970 974
2005* 10.9 3,265 1,008
2010* 0.9 49 27
2015* 6.8 462 257
2018* 16.5 537 298
2019* 24.6 805 446
2020* 30.9 814 451
Production of renewable energy 2001* 0.4 94 45
2005* 0.8 738 573
2010* 1.5 1,507 842
2015* 2.0 2,884 1,340
2018* 2.5 3,632 1,900
2019* 2.9 4,463 2,626
2020* 4.0 5,145 2,939
Environmental engineering activities. 2001* 2.5 485 150
2005* 2.0 459 135
2010* 4.4 1,221 364
2015* 5.7 1,449 476
2018* 6.0 1,869 520
2019* 5.9 2,079 573
2020* 6.1 2,240 579
Environmental consultancy, engineering 2001* 9.9 1,210 480
2005* 10.4 1,391 525
2010* 17.6 3,147 1,489
2015* 15.5 3,308 1,489
2018* 19.5 4,929 2,072
2019* 20.4 5,489 2,384
2020* 21.4 5,841 2,540
Production of industrial envir equipment 2001* 4.2 875 297
2005* 3.7 842 260
2010* 11.5 3,604 1,028
2015* 11.8 5,912 1,567
2018* 13.1 6,148 1,707
2019* 13.9 6,291 1,732
2020* 14.3 6,139 1,844
Organic agriculture 2001* 1.6 362 152
2005* 1.9 396 154
2010* 2.3 614 217
2015* 2.6 733 254
2018* 4.1 969 327
2019* 4.5 1,077 369
2020* 4.6 1,082 352
Preparation for recycling 2001* 2.8 872 175
2005* 3.0 1,305 283
2010* 3.2 1,908 336
2015* 3.9 2,613 546
2018* 4.6 3,298 807
2019* 4.6 3,461 812
2020* 4.8 3,342 799
Environmental inspection, certification 2001* 0.8 119 66
2005* 1.4 253 151
2010* 2.2 351 207
2015* 2.4 329 194
2018* 3.4 502 296
2019* 3.3 517 306
2020* 4.0 632 379
Education about the environment 2001* 0.6 38 27
2005* 0.5 34 25
2010* 0.4 37 27
2015* 0.6 51 36
2018* 0.7 64 45
2019* 0.8 70 50
2020* 0.8 75 55
Ideological environmental organisations 2001* . . .
2005* . . .
2010* 3.2 973 346
2015* 3.3 1,283 441
2018* 2.7 1,241 422
2019* 2.8 1,269 459
2020* 2.9 1,265 496
Insulation activities constr. industry 2001* 20.9 1,836 850
2005* 12.5 1,219 577
2010* 16.7 1,902 867
2015* 19.8 2,624 1,237
2018* 19.1 2,868 1,441
2019* 17.5 2,674 1,270
2020* 20.1 3,244 1,693
Water quantity man. by Water Authorities 2001* 3.4 574 332
2005* 3.8 780 454
2010* 3.6 916 496
2015* 4.1 1,176 692
2018* 4.4 1,228 808
2019* 4.6 1,292 853
2020* 4.7 1,336 876
Specialised producers of env. services 2001* 21.0 4,063 1,586
2005* 21.5 4,301 1,667
2010* 22.0 5,010 1,966
2015* 20.8 5,607 2,167
2018* 23.2 6,182 2,238
2019* 23.7 6,379 2,172
2020* 23.8 6,310 2,261
Other governmental activities 2001* 32.4 4,000 2,358
2005* 32.4 4,659 2,791
2010* 34.3 5,580 3,564
2015* 31.3 6,260 4,028
2018* 36.1 8,136 4,771
2019* 38.0 8,813 5,302
2020* 37.2 8,797 5,002
Water quality management 2001* 6.0 763 412
2005* 5.7 910 467
2010* 5.7 1,137 642
2015* 4.7 1,028 564
2018* 4.2 895 495
2019* 4.4 941 525
2020* 4.8 1,032 565
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table presents economic data for the environmental goods and services sector by activity. It contains data on labour volume, output, gross value added and export of the environmental goods and services sector. Output, gross value added and export are measured in basic prices and labour volume is measured in full time equivalents (fte). The environmental activities are assigned to an environmental domain (environmental protection and/or management of natural resources).

The economic data are presented in the following quantities:
-Labour volume, 1000 fte
-Output at basic prices, mln Euro
-Gross value added at basic prices, mln Euro
-Export at basic prices, mln Euro

The environmental goods and services sector consists of companies and institutions that are involved in activities with respect to measuring, preventing, limiting, minimalizing or correcting environmental damage to water, air and soil as well as problems related to waste, noise and ecosystems (OECD, 1999; Eurostat 2009). This definition includes 'cleaner technologies 'and 'cleaner goods and services' which reduce environmental risk and minimize the use of natural resources and pollution. The definition of the environmental goods and services sector is determined on European level and it is used by EU-countries accordingly.

The environmental goods and services sector is part of de Dutch system of environmental accounts, which brings together economic and environmental information in a common framework. The Dutch environmental accounts are compiled following the general concepts, definitions and classifications as described in SEEA 2012 and the 2008 SNA. As it is in line with de definitions and classifications of the national accounts system, there exists a small difference between environmental accounts and environmental statistics. More information on the methodology can be found elsewhere on the website of CBS.

Data available from: 2001

Status of the figures:
Provisional figures.

Changes as of 4 July 2023:
Year 2021 has been added. The figures about earlier years have been adjusted following a change in the business population belonging to the environmental goods and services sector.

Changes as of 8 July 2022:
Year 2020 has been added. The figures about earlier years have been adjusted following a change in the business population belonging to the environmental goods and services sector.

Changes as of 2 April 2021:
Year 2017, 2018 and 2019 has been added. The figures about earlier years have been adjusted following a change in the business population belonging to the environmental goods and services sector.

Changes as of 16 November 2018:
Year 2016 has been added. The figures about earlier years have been adjusted following a change in the business population belonging to the environmental goods and services sector. Environmental activities 'Second-hand stores (no antiques)' and 'Wholesale of waste and scrap' are outside of the scope for the environmental goods and services sector and are deleted.


Changes as of 5 October 2017:
Provisional figures for 2015 have been added. The time series has been updated according to the most recent estimates. A new variable, Export basic prices, has been added. The underlying coding of classifications used in this table has been adjusted. It is now in line with the standard encoding defined by CBS.

Changes as of 25 August 2016:
Year 2014 has been added. The figures about earlier years have been adjusted following a change in the business population belonging to the environmental goods and services sector.

When will new figures be published?
New provisional figures are published annually in March.

Description topics

Labour input of employed persons
The input of labour that is deployed in a certain period. The labour input can be expressed as jobs, years of employment and hours of employment.
Employed persons are all individuals working at a company that is settled in The Netherlands or at a private household in The Netherlands.
Employed persons are considered all individuals performing paid labour, even if it is for just one or a few hour a week, even if they:
- perform labour that is legal, but which from the payment is withdrawn from registration by the treasury and social security authorities ('black labour');
- do not perform any labour temporary, but still get payment (e.g. in case of illness or hold-ups due to frost);
- are on holiday temporary, without payment.
Employed persons can be categorised in employees and freelancers.
Employees are individuals performing labour for a certain period, in return of payment or salary, in money or in kind.
Freelancers are individuals receiving income by performing labour at their own expenses and risk, for the company or profession they practise independently. Participating members of the family are also considered freelancers, unless they start an employment contract.
Output at basic prices
Output (basic prices) covers the value of all goods produced for sale, including unsold goods, and all receipts for services rendered. Output furthermore covers the market equivalent of goods and services produced for own use, such as own account capital formation, services of owner-occupied dwellings and agricultural products produced by farmers for own consumption.
The output of such goods is estimated by valuing the quantities produced against the price that the producer would have received if these goods had been sold. Output is valued at basic prices, defined as the price received by the producer excluding trade and transport margins and the balance of taxes and subsidies on products. This is the price the producer is ultimately left with.
Gross value added at basic prices
Value added at basic prices is equal to the difference between production (basic prices) and intermediate consumption.