Traffic sector invests substantially more in environmental measures

Some 653 million euro was invested in the traffic sector to protect the environment in the Netherlands in 2007. This is 60 percent more than in 2005.

Road traffic accounts for 85 percent of investment

Road traffic accounted for 557 million euro of total traffic investment, especially cars and goods vehicles. More than three-quarters of this amount was spent on environmental investment in soot filters and vehicles that comply with the euro-4 norm. The measures are intended to reduce air pollution.

Ship-building increasingly taking environment into consideration

The sea-going shipping sector increased its environmental investment nearly fourfold, from 15 million euro in 2005 to 59 million euro in 2007. Investment in this sector is mostly related to the construction of new vessels. These have been adapted to comply with a variety of environmental requirements and to use less energy.

Environmental investment in the traffic sector

Private sector invests most

Private companies paid for 80 percent of environment-related investment by the traffic sector in 2007, households paid for the remaining 20 percent. Environmental investment by companies rose substantially between 2005 and 2007, from 291 to 525 million euro. Environment-related traffic spending by households rose from 119 million to 128 million euro in this period.

Bert Wit