Survey of Environmental Goods and Services

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Revenues derived by Canadian businesses from sales of environmentally-related goods and services amounted to $4.1 billion in 2008.

Of this total, just under $2.3 billion in revenues were derived from sales of environmental goods manufactured in Canada, while sales of environmental services accounted for $1.8 billion.

Slightly more than 40% of the revenues from environmental goods, about $966 million, was generated through sales of machinery, equipment and products for renewable energy production.

In the services sector, revenues from environmental consulting services amounted to $1.4 billion, 80% of total sales. Site remediation and emergency environmental services generated the remaining $360 million in revenue.

Businesses exported just over $1 billion worth of environmental goods and services in 2008, the majority (77%) going to the United States. About 2% went to Mexico, while the remainder was distributed among other international markets.

Note: The Survey of Environmental Goods and Services replaces the Environment Industry Survey. There are differences between the methodologies of the two surveys. Consequently, any comparison of the results from them should be done with caution.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 1209.

For more information, to request the tables, or to enquire about the concepts, methods, or data quality of this release, contact the Information Officer (613-951-0297; environ@statcan.gc.ca), Environment Accounts and Statistics Division.