Industry Intelligence

Alberta's environmental industry has historically had its foundations in the oil and gas industry. Today, the environmental sector includes almost 1,330 companies, employing 33,000 Albertans and generating more than $4.5 billion in revenues in 2008. The sector has a well-earned international reputation for excellence in water treatment, waste management and the development of climate change solutions.

Alberta's environmental industry is structured differently than the global environmental industry, with approximately 50% of companies involved with soil remediation, 20% with water treatment and 10% with air and climate change technologies.

Alberta's Environment Sector - by the numbers...

Number of Albertans Employed (2008): 33,000
Annual Total Environmental Revenues (2008): $4.5 billion

Sources: Government of Alberta, Statistics Canada

Environmental solutions

Alberta’s environmental sector provides effective solutions to environmental needs. Some of these solutions include pollution prevention, conservation programs, soil and groundwater reclamation, water and wastewater treatment, air quality management, monitoring and analytical services, waste management, and emergency response.

Environmental protection expenditures by businesses

Provincially, Alberta businesses invested the most in facilities and equipment to protect the environment, again surpassing Ontario, the largest spender up until 2002.

Capital investment by businesses in Alberta for environmental protection amounted to nearly $1.9 billion in 2006, almost half (49%) of the capital expenditures nationally. Ontario businesses reported $827 million in capital expenditures, followed by those in Quebec ($371 million).

In terms of operating expenses for environmental protection, establishments in Ontario reported spending almost $1.6 billion, the largest amount. Alberta businesses were a close second with operating expenses of just over $1.3 billion.

Capital investments by Canadian oil and gas producers, most of which operate in Alberta, totalled over $1.7 billion in 2006. This investment occurred in areas such as pollution abatement and control, waste management, pollution prevention, and reclamation and decommissioning.

The oil and gas extraction industry also reported the highest operating expenses ($1.1 billion). This amount went mainly for reclamation and decommissioning, waste management and sewerage services and pollution abatement and control processes.

Industry spending to improve energy efficiency

Industry spent nearly $2.0 billion in 2006 on technologies that improve energy efficiency or reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Compared with industry spending on environmental protection, this amount represents a broader set of expenditures. This reflects a motivation by industry to adopt energy-related environmental technologies that exceed responses to environmental regulations, conventions or voluntary agreements.

The oil and gas extraction industry led the way with expenditures of $495.4 million on alternative energy and energy reduction technologies. Most of this amount, $472.9 million, was directed at capital projects.

The electric power generation, transmission and distribution industry spent a similar amount. However, it directed less to capital projects ($155.4 million) and more to operating expenses ($337.8 million). 

Resources

Date Updated: Jan 19, 2010
RDP-1160