ÖVP attacks Gewessler: waste millions? Climate fund at the end!

ÖVP attacks Gewessler: waste millions? Climate fund at the end!

In the middle of growing tensions within Austrian politics, the budget -like is in the foreground of the debates. The ÖVP has sharply criticized the Greens and accuses their leading personality, Leonore Gewessler, to have contributed to the current financial misery by a careless allocation of funding. Gewessler, the former Minister of the Environment, defends herself and instead makes the ÖVP finance minister responsible for the predicament and emphasizes that the Greens cannot be held accountable for the financial problems. According to OE24 , funds that were planned for several years were almost completely issued in just two years. A prominently mentioned example is the climate promotion "out of oil and gas", which should include almost four billion euros by 2027, but is already fully exhausted in 2024.

The situation is intensified by the argumentation of the ÖVP that central funding programs such as the biodiversity fund and international climate finance are almost empty. Only with the funding pot "Heating for everyone", more than one billion euros are unused. In her defense, Gewessler also raised the voice against the new government, which in her opinion is looking for a scapegoat for your own financial policy.

goals and evaluations of climate promotion

In order to react to the challenges, Environment Minister Norbert Tettschnig announced a comprehensive evaluation of energy and climate funding until summer. The aim of this evaluation is a realignment of the funding to increase efficiency and effect. The background is the budget misery that requires faster efficiency increase. Last year, the climate and energy fund had a volume of 660 million euros, and around one billion euros annually flowed into the grants in accordance with the Renewable Expansion Act (EAG), such as The press reported.

The evaluation process is critical. Both the FPÖ and the Greens say that the evaluation could possibly be used as a pretext for cuts in climate funding. Comfortable emphasized that there will be an independent institute that extensively analyzes the funding landscape. Four key questions are dealt with that aim at how the funding can contribute to the achievement of the EU climate goals and to reduce CO2 emissions.

long -term climate goals and sustainability

The Federal Environment Agency plays a crucial role in the context of these debates and reforms. It is a leading facility in Austria and Europe for the environment and climate and supports the transformation towards a sustainable future. The recommendations of European environmental protection agencies are based on the 8th environmental action program, the aim of which is that EU citizens can live borders by 2050 by 2050. The essential topics include promoting public and private investments in sustainable innovations and climate protection with ambitious goals until 2040, such as explained.