Government fails to protect the soil: WWF criticizes vague solutions!

Government fails to protect the soil: WWF criticizes vague solutions!

The Austrian federal government, consisting of ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos, faces sharp criticism from the WWF, since its initiatives for soil protection are rated as insufficient. A current analysis has shown that only seven of 28 measures examined are classified as "new and positive", while most of them remain vague and non -binding. Simon Pories, spokesman for the WWF for soil protection, emphasizes that "despite multiple mentions in the program, there is no concrete objectives" and warns that healthy and unobstructed soils are essential in times of climate change. This worrying evaluation shows that Austria remains behind the aim of the aim in terms of soil protection, which could have a negative impact on the environment.

Current calculations of the WWF show that soil consumption in Austria remained alarming in 2024: around 25 square kilometers of soil were used up, which corresponds to almost 7 hectares per day. These numbers exceed the target of only 2.5 hectares. The promotion of new road construction projects is particularly critically seen, which according to WWF "only concentrate on traffic again and sabotage the climate goals", while at the same time the construction of the Lobau Autobahn is lost valuable agricultural areas. The WWF therefore demands that the Federal Government implement real changes in order to stop this alarming development and actually advance soil protection, as can be seen from the comprehensive analysis, which can be viewed in detail on the WWF website.

alarming soil consumption

The devastating effects of high soil consumption are unmistakable: on average, around 11 hectares of soil disappear in Austria every day. This concerns illustrate the urgent need for effective measures to protect the resource soil, especially in a country like Austria, which is particularly vulnerable due to its geographical conditions. The entire developments show that structural defects in the ground protection remain, and it is crucial that the government is seriously concerned with these problems in order to ensure the basis for a sustainable future, as is also shown in the extended information of the WWF.