Climate protection in Vienna: SPÖ local council calls for more daily commitment!

Climate protection in Vienna: SPÖ local council calls for more daily commitment!

On April 11, 2025, SPÖ councilor Stephan Auer-Stüger gave an urgent speech on climate protection in the Vienna City Council. Auer-Stüger emphasized that the Vienna Progress Coalition has been actively taking climate protection measures for years and criticized other local council colleagues who only took up the issue shortly before the election. “Climate protection is not an election campaign stunt, but daily work on streets, in forests and parks,” said the local council.

A central component of the current climate policy in Vienna is the climate law passed on March 27, 2025. Vienna is the first federal state in Austria to make climate protection a legal priority. The aim of this law is to make the city climate neutral by 2040. The Vienna Climate Law ensures the validity of the climate targets across legislative periods and obliges to completely reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040.

Comprehensive measures and long-term goals

The Vienna Climate Roadmap includes over 100 concrete measures that are legally anchored in the Climate Law. This includes taking into account all areas of action, such as building heat, energy and transport. Auer-Stüger emphasized the need for infrastructure projects and targeted legislation to effectively implement these measures. This is a comprehensive, coordinated approach to climate policy in Vienna.

The city has already made significant progress. In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 12 percent, which is twice as high as the Austrian average. A variety of factors are contributing to this decline, including the expansion of solar power, high investments in public transport, improvements in energy efficiency in new buildings and extensive thermal renovations of existing buildings.

Innovative projects and citizen participation

Vienna also pursues successful waste management with a clear focus on resource conservation and circular economy. Future projects such as the Wiener Stadtwerke pilot hydrogen plant represent the power of innovation in the energy sector. Auer-Stüger emphasized that the effective implementation of the climate goals requires close cooperation with the people of Vienna.

The climate law also includes the introduction of a climate budget to control measures and the formation of climate alliances to actively involve private companies and institutions in climate protection. Climate-friendly planning is ensured through legally required updates to the climate roadmap every five years and regular climate checks for laws and building projects. Public participation is guaranteed in the law, which supports the social design of the measures.

In summary, Vienna is on an ambitious path to achieving its climate goals and is thus demonstrating exemplary commitment to climate protection. At a time when climate change is seen as a serious threat worldwide, the city is leading the way and pursuing clear, legally anchored strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A look at the European climate goals shows that Vienna is in line with this, as significant reductions in emissions must be aimed for in many sectors in order to become climate neutral by 2040.

Further information about the Vienna Climate Law can be found on the official website of the City of Vienna: wien.gv.at. For a comprehensive overview of European climate goals and strategies, please visit climate.ec.europa.eu.