In 2018, the Austrian environmental industry employed 182 963 people and achieved an output of €36.9 bn. The gross value added created by the environmental industry reached €14.3 bn and environmental exports amounted to €11.3 bn.
These are the main results of Statistics Austria on the environmental goods and services sector (EGSS).
If public transport is also taken into account, although it is not part of the EGSS, 211.204 persons were active in the environmental industry.
As in previous years, the most important environmental domain was management of energy resources. This domain is mainly focused on renewable energies as well as heat/energy saving and management and generated 48.6% of the total environmental output, 43.1% of the environmental gross value added as well as 66.1% of the environmental exports with 34.3% of all employees in the environmental industry.
The subdomain renewable energy includes, for example, the production of renewable energy and heat, the production and installation of renewable energy technologies as well as bio fuels.
The subdomain heat/energy saving and management includes e.g. the production of low energy buildings and insulation materials, energy consulting and thermal rehabilitation of buildings.
Further important environmental domains were protection of ambient air and climate, wastewater management, waste management as well as protection and remediation of soil, groundwater and surface water.