Analiza rabe vode, vrednosti investicij in tekoči izdatkov za varstvo okolja v predelovalni dejavnosti v Sloveniji (2013-2020)

Abstract

The study aimed to examine water use, investment value, and current expenditure for environmental protection in the manufacturing sector in the run-up to the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2013 to 2019) and in 2020, when the pandemic started. The analysis included all manufacturing enterprises in Slovenia that used industrial water (water for production and cooling) between 2013 and 2020. We found that, between 2013- 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020, there was a statistically significant decrease in the use of fresh drinking water (p=0.043) and recycled water (p=0.044), as well as a statistically significant increase in wastewater management expenditure (p=0.046) and current expenditure for the protection and improvement of soil, groundwater and surface water (p=0.032). Worryingly, the enterprises showed statistically significant decreases in expenditure for research and development in environmental protection (p=0.037).