The global market for environment technology is already valued at more than 1,000 billion euros and, in 2020, this figure could even be 2,200 billion. This is the result of a study carried out by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants for the Federal Ministry of the Environment and the Umweltbundesamt (UBA = federal environment office). "The fact that the European environment industry is so successful has a lot to do with the ambitious German environment policy", said Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Minister of the Environment.

"Germany has often been the trailblazer for ambitious European environment policy and thus the driving force behind technological innovations. This is now paying off", continued Gabriel. For the study, the consulting company looked at six leading markets for environment technology: power generation and storage, energy efficiency, mobility, recycling, water supply & distribution, and the efficient use of raw materials.

There is a significantly positive trend towards energy-efficient technologies. Efficient electric motors for industry are just one example. By 2020, the experts are anticipating a world market volume of 450 billion euros for energy-efficiency technology alone. Even today, Europe heads the field in respect of markets for bio-diesel with an 85 per cent share of the global market, biogas installations (75 per cent), pellet heating systems (72 per cent) and wind power (67 per cent).  

German companies lead the world when it comes to wind power and, in Europe, is way ahead in respect of innovative methods of waste management such as automatic waste-separating techniques. The study also shows that there is great potential for growth in the areas of solar cooling, micro-filtration of water with membranes and non-centralised water treatment. 

On average, European companies today account for a 30 per cent share of the global environment technology market. "The idea of environmental protection must penetrate further into the traditional core areas of industry", said Prof. Dr. Andreas Troge, president of the UBA. "In terms of energy efficiency, we are on the right course. But there is still a great deal of unused potential, for example in the efficient use of raw material in industry or the development of low-emission engines for vehicles", continued Troge.

For the purposes of the study, Roland Berger carried out a survey of 90 leading companies from 13 European countries. Many of these companies continue to regard environment policy as the main impetus for the environment technology sector. "There is a lot to be done if we want to have an ecological industrial policy which sets clear goals and intensifies its promotion of environmental innovation", said Federal Minister of the Environment Sigmar Gabriel, when summarising the results. "Ecological industrial policy is the key to a solution for urgent ecological problems and also for economic success in the future."  

Source: Federal Ministry of the Environment 2007, Federal Environment Office 2007