Austria's environmental report 2025: record values ​​and pressing problems!

Austria's environmental report 2025: record values ​​and pressing problems!

The current oneEnvironmental control reportoffers a comprehensive overview of the environmental status in Austria. The 14th edition, which covers the period from July 2022 to June 2025, shows encouraging developments on several key environmental issues. Particularly noteworthy is the air quality, which has now been recorded as the best since measurements began. The water conditions are also in good to very good condition, which indicates effective protective measures.

Another positive sign is the increase in biodiversity areas in agriculture. Around a third of the country's area is now protected, and almost three percent are designated as national parks. Nevertheless, biodiversity loss remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by land use, transport infrastructure, climate change and intensive land use.

Positive outlook despite challenges

The managing director of the Federal Environment Agency, Hildegard Aichberger, emphasizes the demonstrable impact of the measures implemented. Despite the observed reduction in subsidies, she expects the trend of falling greenhouse gas emissions, which have been reduced by almost a quarter since 2005, to continue. In this context, it is important to emphasize that the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 were the hottest on record. The mean temperature in 2024 was 3.1 degrees above the long-term average, further illustrating the consequences of climate change, such as increasing heat stress, higher risk of forest fires and more frequent extreme weather events.

However, Jürgen Schneider, head of the Environment and Climate Section in the Ministry of the Environment, warns against savings in environmental protection. He emphasizes the central importance of intact nature for Austria's prosperity and economic resilience. The country's national adaptation strategy focuses on combating climate change and includes support for communities and investments in flood protection.

The role of Eurostat data

The role of Eurostat should not be underestimated in this context. Eurostat produces comprehensive environmental statistics, balance sheets and indicators that describe the state of the environment and its interactions with human activities. This is done by analyzing emissions, water resources and other environmental factors that are crucial for sound environmental policy. This comprehensive data offers important insights for the development and implementation of environmental protection measures in Austria and the entire EU.

In summary, the environmental control report shows that Austria is on a positive path, but still has challenges to overcome. The balance between economic development and environmental protection remains a central task for the future.