European Union member states invested €79 billion in environmental protection assets in 2025, according to Eurostat, reflecting continued spending on infrastructure aimed at reducing environmental impacts and managing natural resources.
The investment represented 0.4% of the EU’s gross domestic product and 1.9% of total investment across the economy.
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Wastewater Treatment Receives The Largest Share
Wastewater treatment attracted the largest share of environmental protection investment, accounting for 37.7% of total spending. Waste management followed with 27.3%, while air and climate protection projects represented 11.2%.
Companies Lead Environmental Investment
Businesses accounted for €49.6 billion, or 62.7%, of total environmental protection investment. Spending focused on specialised technologies and equipment designed to reduce the environmental impact of production processes.
These investments included equipment to reduce air emissions, the construction and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, vehicles used for waste transport, and waste collection plants. Companies also invested in land for natural reserves and biodiversity protection.
Public Sector Provides The Remaining Investment
General government and non-profit institutions accounted for the remaining 37.3% of environmental protection investment.
Eurostat’s figures show that wastewater treatment, waste management and air and climate protection accounted for the largest share of environmental protection investment across the European Union in 2025.
