Environmental Technology Market Size, Share, Industry, Forecast and outlook (2024-2031)

Global Environmental Technology Market is Segmented By Type(Solutions, Services), By Technological Solution(Waste Recycling, Wastewater Treatment, Water Purification Management, Sewage Treatment, Pollution Monitoring, Dust Emissions, Dry Steaming, Gas Dissolution, Precision Cooling, Solid Waste Treatment, Desalination, Bioremediation, Green hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Others), By End-User(Energy & Power, Manufacturing, Retail, Construction, Defense, Oil & Gas, Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2024-2031

Report Overview

The Global Environmental Technology Market size is growing at a high CAGR during the forecast period (2024-2031). Environmental technology is also known as 'clean' or 'green' technology.

Environmental technology refers to the use of environmental science and modern technology to design products or solutions that can monitor and reduce the harmful effects of human activities on the environment while consuming resources for human benefit. It is mainly used to fuel economic development while reducing pollution and the depletion of natural resources.

 Every year, dozens of new and innovative environmental technologies are introduced, some of which are ready for mass consumption and others still in the prototype and proof of concept stages, all of which are ultimately linked by the desire to provide long-term tools for the collective use of humanity. A few recent developments can affect and influence our future environmental processes.

Heliostats are used to focus and reflect the sun's rays to melt plastic and make it moldable, which is a recent groundbreaking development in plastics manufacturing. Traditional plastic manufacturing relies on fossil fuels as a product feedstock and energy source for the manufacturing process, but this new technology is fossil fuel-free. The procedure is not restricted to new polymers and can be used in various materials, such as recycled plastics.

Environmental technology is used across various industrial verticals such as energy, retail, manufacturing, defense, construction, oil, and gas. The current rising environmental consciousness about the harmful effects of man-made climate change on the natural ecosystem leads to the widespread adoption of environmental technologies.

Environmental Technology Market Scope

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Environmental Technology Market Dynamics

The demand for environmental technology is mainly driven by the increasing awareness of the global water crisis. The inconsistent governmental regulations are key factors in limiting the growth of this market. 

Increasing awareness about the global water crisis

Water is a natural resource that spans 70% of the earth's surface area. However, only 2.5 percent of the available freshwater is represented. By 2050, this percentage of freshwater will be needed to serve 9.7 billion people. The usage of water has surged at a much faster rate over the last decade and it is continuing to across numerous industries. Modern high-tech industries such as semiconductor and electronics manufacturing are highly water-intensive. A territory is termed water-stressed by the United Nations when it withdraws 25% or more of its renewable freshwater resources.

As a result, there is a need to handle water as a finite resource through demand management. Countries experiencing water scarcity are employing several measures to address the problem. According to a UNU Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH) research, adopting the sustainable development goals (SDG) by UN member states in 2015 prompted other countries, including major developed countries, to focus on wastewater treatment, water recycling, and water efficiency. New technologies are used to treat water to provide safe drinking water. Removing microbiological contaminants and suspended particles is the goal of many treatment designs. Reverse osmosis (RO) and electrodialysis have been adopted in the desalination process.

Another major avenue for water management is treating wastewater from industrial processes. Wastewater from metals processing, petroleum refining, and chemical production are some of the most toxic and harmful substances that damage the environment. Companies across the world are investing substantial resources in industrial wastewater treatment technologies. The global water crisis is a key driver for innovations in environmental technologies.

Inconsistent government regulations

Emerging countries are steadily focusing on environmental protection programs to address growing worries about pollution management and rapid industrialization. As a result, new environmental standards are being developed. However, there is variability in the legislation and policies governing the adoption of environmental protection equipment and technologies in various emerging countries. It poses a significant impediment to the market's expansion. As a result, regulations change over time, affecting the implementation of environmental pollution control services.

For example, Russia's implementation of environmental rules and regulations is experiencing delays due to strong lobbying by resource extraction industries. Similarly, though the Indian government is increasing environmental standards, many restrictions are still in place that is either impractical or impossible to implement. Regulations to monitor water pollution in India have been inefficient and uneven, owing to central government ministries such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry's (MoEF) lack of concern for water pollution prevention.

In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has consistently failed to enforce drinking water standards in various communities near industrial plants due to ongoing civil litigation by industrial companies. Weakly structured regulations of the EPA have made their enforcement highly impractical. Inconsistent regulations hinder the adoption of environmental technologies and are a key challenge to the growth of the market.

COVID-19 impact on Environmental Technology Market Growth

The global environmental technology market experienced uneven impacts on production and deployment in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipal water treatment, sewage treatment, air quality monitoring, and waste management mostly continued uninterrupted since they are essential services.  

The research and development of new innovative technologies were impacted due to the pandemic since government lockdown and restrictions led to the curtailment of research activities. Therefore, the commercial deployment of new technologies was delayed, impacting the revenues of various environmental technology companies.

The short-term impact of the pandemic has been relatively mild for the environmental technology market. Major cuts to fiscal expenditures and new investments by governments and organizations in response to the pandemic have halted the adoption and deployment of new technologies. The pandemic will not impact the long-term growth of the global environmental technology market since governments prioritize investment in green technologies to reduce carbon emissions, lower pollution levels, and improve the quality of life for citizens. The demand for environmental technologies remains strong and is expected to grow gradually in the coming years.

Environmental Technology Market Segmentation

The global environmental technology market is segmented into types, technological solutions, end-users, and regions. The environmental technology market is further segmented into solutions and services based on components. The services are leading in this segmentation since it is the most widely adopted component of environmental technology. Various services such as waste management, water treatment, and plastic recycling are some of the major users of environmental technologies.

Environmental Technology Market Geographical Share

Asia-Pacific is leading in the global environmental technology market. The region accounts for the largest market share, primarily due to the concentration of many global industries. Some of the largest industrializing countries, such as India, China, and Vietnam, and industrialized countries, such as South Korea and Japan, are located in the region.

The haphazard industrialization in many Asia-Pacific countries has led to various problems such as groundwater pollution, poor urban air quality, and untreated discharge of sewage into water bodies. It has led to massive environmental degradation, particularly in Indonesia, India, and China. The adoption of environmental technologies has been the fastest and widest in the Asia-Pacific region to address these acute environmental problems. Asia-Pacific is expected to retain the largest share of the global environmental technology market in the upcoming years.

Environmental Technology Companies and Competitive Landscape

The global environmental technology market is competitive due to the wide variety of services and solutions that cater to different types of industrial and commercial requirements. Some of the major players contributing to the market's growth are Veolia S.A., Suez, Lennox International, Teledyne ICM, Arcadis N.V., AECOM, Waste Connections, Covanta Holding Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and Carbon Clean Solutions Limited. The major players adopt several growth strategies like launching new products and solutions, joint ventures, and research collaborations, contributing to the growth of the market.

Veolia S.A.

Overview: Veolia S.A. is an engineering company that primarily engages in waste management, water management, and energy services. The company employs 179,000 people globally, with major research and development centers in France, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Veolia S.A. was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Aubervilliers, Paris, France.

Product Portfolio

• Veolia Solutions is the company's flagship wastewater management service. It combines engineering and technological expertise while ensuring regulatory compliance. The process involves thermal, chemical, and biological treatments of wastewater, recovery, and the reuse of treated wastewater.  

Key Developments:

• In 2020, Veolia Group acquired 30% capital shares of Suez S.A. It is another major engineering company that offers various types of environmental technology solutions across various industry verticals. The acquisition was made to enhance the company's presence and offerings in the French market.