When it comes to climate protection, there is not enough progress in Austria, especially in the federal states: The Energy Agency criticized this at a press conference yesterday, Thursday.
In order to meet the climate targets of the European Union, Austria must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 48 percent by 2030. To do this, all federal states would have to take measures and work with the federal government, said Günter Pauritsch from the Energy Agency. “Each federal state is currently doing its own thing when it comes to climate protection,” said the managing director of IG Windkraft, Stefan Moidl. The challenges are particularly great in Austria because the emission values ”have been about the same for 30 years,” says Moidl.
Waiting for climate protection law
Compared to Germany or Sweden, Austria is falling behind, the Energy Agency concludes. Measures for improvement are on the one hand a new climate protection law that is still awaiting implementation. On the other hand, each federal state can take the initiative itself. The Energy Agency’s proposals range from the expansion of public transport and improvements in spatial planning to housing subsidies. Greenhouse gas emissions from large industry and energy companies are not included in the calculations.
Upper Austria emits around ten million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year, the second largest amount after Lower Austria (almost twelve million). The greatest savings potential is in replacing fossil fuel heating systems and reducing fuel consumption in road traffic.
Author
Martin Roithner
Editor Economics
Martin Roithner
