Environment and Economy: Main Indicators - Years 2018 - 2020

The report documents how the pandemic crisis reduced pressures on the environment, while environment-related monetary aggregates show a mixed picture. In 2020, the main pressure indicators of the environmental accounts decreased, compared to 2019, to an extent close to the decrease in GDP (-9% in volume). In 2020 Net energy consumption was equal to 6.5 million terajoules (-8.8%), Greenhouse gas emissions to 392 million tons (Mt) of CO2 equivalent (-10.2%) and Domestic material consumption to 459 Mt (-7.7%). The reduction in the revenue from environmental taxes was more marked, falling to 50.4 billion euros (-13.5%). In the same year, the value of goods and services produced by the economy for environmental purposes decreased, falling to 104 billion (-3.8%) while Expenditure on environmental protection remained stable at 43 billions. All indicators are derived from SEEA accounts.