Climate protection in danger? S1 brace and new construction projects put to the test!

Climate protection in danger? S1 brace and new construction projects put to the test!

In the Austrian Parliament, a motion for a resolution was submitted to the government parties, which deals with the review of ASFINAG's new construction projects that have not yet been approved. The main aim of this application is to assess the economic viability, sustainability, efficiency and economic impact of these projects. How Ökonews reports, an environmental report on the S1 was prepared for the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection (BMK), which also contains the recommendation to delete the S1 clasp from the Federal Highway Act.

Pressure on such infrastructure projects is growing, particularly given a persistent budget gap and increased questions about costs and possible alternatives. Historical examples show that deletions have already been successfully implemented in the past, which is fueling further discussions about the feasibility of infrastructure projects.

Evaluation of new construction projects

In parallel to these political developments, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler has commissioned an evaluation of the ASFINAG construction program, as in BMI information desk explained. The study covers all planned new construction projects and their future viability, especially with regard to climate protection, species protection and soil protection. A key finding of this evaluation is that construction of the Lobau Tunnel will be stopped as it would cross a nature reserve and could cause excessive CO2 emissions.

Alternatives are being examined for the northern section of the S1, which is connected to the Lobau motorway. The S34 will also not be implemented in the originally planned form. In response to the evaluation, ASFINAG plans to create a new construction program that will be oriented towards climate goals in the future and take into account the requirements for soil protection and climate-friendly mobility. All construction work that has begun will be retained and continued.

Forecast for the transport sector

The pressure to transform transport policy is also noticeable internationally. According to a forecast by the International Transport Forum (ITF), published at the World Summit of Transport Ministers in Leipzig, traffic volumes will increase sharply by 2050, with particularly high growth in freight transport, which is expected to increase 2.6 times. This contradicts the goals of climate protection, because even with the current decarbonization measures, emissions in the transport sector could increase by up to 16 percent Bus planner reported.

The challenges are enormous: In order to achieve the global temperature targets in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement, a comprehensive transformation is necessary that not only covers the transport policy framework, but also takes into account alternative drives, improved coordination of supply chains and more sustainable mobility solutions.