Of the total volume of investment in environmental protection, projects related to wastewater treatment accounted for the largest share. In total, in 2025, European Union countries invested €79 billion in the facilities and infrastructure required to provide environmental protection services.
This is according to Eurostat data.
Environmental priorities
The top three sectors by investment volume in 2025 were as follows:
- 37.7% — wastewater treatment;
- 27.3% — waste management;
- 11.2% — air and climate protection.
Overall, investment in the environment accounted for 1.9% of total investment in the economy. This figure corresponds to 0.4% of the EU’s total GDP.
Source: Eurostat
Sectoral distribution
The private sector made the largest investments in environmental initiatives. During the year, businesses allocated €49.6 billion to this area, accounting for 62.7% of all environmental protection expenditures. Companies spent these funds on purchasing technologies and equipment aimed at reducing the environmental impact of their production processes.
Among business investments:
- equipment for reducing atmospheric emissions;
- treatment facilities, their maintenance and repair;
- equipment and infrastructure for waste collection and treatment;
- vehicles for waste transportation;
- purchase of land for the creation of nature reserves and biodiversity conservation.
The share of environmental investments from the state and non-profit sector reaches 37.3%.
EcoPolitic previously reported that the “green” economy created 5.8 million full-time equivalent jobs in the EU. Overall, the number of jobs in clean energy, waste management, and other segments has grown by nearly 80% over the past 10 years.
