Climate crisis in focus: New paths required for Austria's economy!

Climate crisis in focus: New paths required for Austria's economy!

Renowned environmental economist Sigrid Stagl was named “Scientist of the Year,” underscoring both her groundbreaking work on sustainable economic transformation and her influential voice in the climate policy discourse. Stagl, who was the first person in the world to receive a doctorate in “ecological economics,” emphasizes the need to view climate policy as an integral part of the economy. In an interview with the APA, she said that the social and political reactions to the urgently required restructuring of the economic system were still inadequate. She also identified simple and cost-effective climate protection measures, such as the introduction of CO2 taxation and the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies, which often go unmentioned in the current political landscape, as essential steps to reduce emissions. This topic is also actively supported by the organization “Scientists for Future”, of which Stagl is a committed member, as highlighted on the “Scientists4Future” platform.

Climate policy in the focus of the election campaigns

In a media conversation on September 17, 2024, political scientists Reinhard Steurer and Sigrid Stagl analyzed the party programs in the context of the upcoming elections. Stagl's findings about the urgency of climate policy measures were supported by Steurer's assessment that the FPÖ and the ÖVP are seen as part of the problem. While the FPÖ denies the problem of climate change and the ÖVP relies on technological solutions, the SPÖ, the Greens and the NEOS advocate a comprehensive climate protection policy. The exchange confirmed the need for a broad mix of measures that also includes regulatory instruments. “Every election is a climate election,” emphasizes Stagl, as the window of opportunity to limit global warming is becoming increasingly smaller.

Especially in light of recent flood disasters, it is clear that the issue of climate can no longer be ignored in the election campaign. The media failure is attributed to the fact that climate issues have often been ignored, but nature is knocking on the door. The current catastrophe could probably make the electorate more interested in climate policy approaches. Experts like Steurer expect that parties that take climate protection seriously may lose or gain voters. These developments are not only important for the elections, but also for the future course of Austria's climate policy and the avoidance of further ecological crises, according to the experts.