- Investment of Lithuanian firms in mitigating climate change impact and in reducing carbon emissions outpaces EU average.
- Companies in Lithuania are on average more innovative than their EU peers.
- Global uncertainty and lack of skilled workers remain top barriers to investment.
A large majority of Lithuanian firms have taken actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the impact of adverse weather events, according to the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Investment Survey country results released today. The figure is 8 percentage points higher than the EU average. Lithuanian firms are also ahead of EU peers when it comes to innovation, leading with 10 percentage points above the EU average, the survey shows.
Most Lithuanian firms – 70% - are satisfied with their overall investment level over the past three years, but a significant minority – 26% - reports an investment gap.
The EIB Group Investment Survey (EIBIS) is an annual report based on polling of approximately 13,000 firms in all EU Member States plus a sample from the United States. Its main results were released in October 2024, showing that EU businesses lead the way in investments in climate mitigation and adaptation.
The detailed reports for individual EU countries were published today. Key takeaways for Lithuania include:
- The investment dynamics have stalled and the share of firms investing has plateaued after steadily rising in recent years.
- Lithuania’s firms are highly integrated into global value chains (74% versus 63% in the EU) and suffer more from the fragmentation of the EU single market.
- Lithuanian firms are more likely than EU firms to have invested in solutions to avoid or reduce exposure to extreme weather events.
- Some 92% of Lithuanian firms have taken actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Lithuanian firms, on balance, are concerned with political and regulatory climate, but less so than their European peers,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “Looking ahead, Lithuanian firms expect to prioritise investment replacement over expansion, and face similar challenges as EU firms, such as uncertainly about the future and limited availability of skilled staff.”
The full country report about Lithuania is available here.
Survey results feed into the annual Investment Report, the flagship publication of the EIB Group’s Economics Department, gauging the investment outlook for Europe’s economy. The next Investment Report will be released on 5 March 2025 during the annual EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg.
The annual Forum brings together key stakeholders from the government, business and finance domains to exchange views on investment priorities that support Europe's policies, including industrial decarbonisation, artificial intelligence, the Capital Markets Union, security, housing and EU enlargement. The theme of this year’s event is Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
EIB Group financing in Lithuania last year totalled €449 million, bolstering business and green investments. The funding has supported 1,200 Lithuanian companies, sustained 19,000 jobs and covered 21 investment projects, including for energy storage and clean railways.