Government's climate check: Red alarm level for Austria's future!

Government's climate check: Red alarm level for Austria's future!

Österreich - The current climate check of the government program of the three-person coalition from ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos is anything but positive. According to the WWF, 21 examined areas 12 are rated as weak and incomplete. 7 areas even clearly have negative developments, while only 2 can be processed as potential progress. Above all, WWF climate spokesman Reinhard Uhrig criticizes that there is a lack of concrete goals, schedules and budgets. In the government program, numerous climate-damaging gaps and contradictions can be found, which makes the demands for consistent climate protection measures for Austria and secure jobs all the more urgent.

Nevertheless, there are also positive aspects. A new start for a climate protection law is welcomed, and the goal of climate neutrality by 2040 remains. However, the coalition for its blindness when saving energy and the delayed abolition of environmentally harmful subsidies is sharply criticized. In addition, the expansion of highways and expressways as well as the party -politically motivated splinter course in the Climate Protection Ministry are the focus of the debate.

implementation of the EU goals and impending compensation payments

The ambiguities about the implementation of the EU climate goals until 2030 also raise questions in the government program. The WWF warns of impending compensation payments in billions of billions if there is no trend reversal. In order to counteract this, the rapid dismantling of harmful subsidies, air conditioning package for buildings and a reform of the Energy Efficiency Act on the WWF recommendation agenda. In addition, the WWF calls for greater protection of biodiversity, more renaturation and effective soil protection as well as binding nature conservation criteria for the expansion of renewable energies.

The context of these challenges is supplemented by the Europe -wide efforts to combat climate change. The European Climate Protection Act, which was decided in July 2021, has the goal of legally anchoring the greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gases by 55 % by 2030. This is part of the larger plan "Fit for 55", which suggests the guarantee of the climate goals through various strategies and legislative. The EU Commission also wants to propose a lower emission reduction goal for 2040 to secure the climate goals in the long term.

German climate protection policy and their measures

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck emphasizes that many measures of the program, such as the Germany ticket and the CO2-dependent truck toll have already been implemented. The projection report of the Federal Environmental Office shows a decline in greenhouse gases by almost 64 % by 2030, which underlines the progress since the new government took office.