Vienna sets standards: First milestone with Climate Law 2040!

Vienna sets standards: First milestone with Climate Law 2040!

Vienna is facing a historic moment: the city will be the first federal state in Austria to pass its own climate law. This law is expected to be submitted to the state parliament for a vote in the spring after the evaluation phase, which lasts several months, has been successfully completed. This was emphasized by the Vienna city government at a press conference, and they see this as a decisive step at a time when the global climate is under severe strain. 2024 was not only the warmest year since weather records began, but also showed extreme weather such as heavy rain and periods of drought, which illustrates the need for action wien.gv.at reported.

Commitment to climate neutrality

Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig said the lack of progress at the national level and the failure of the last federal government to present a climate law were worrying. Despite these circumstances, Vienna remains committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2040. The planned climate law is intended not only to secure the city's climate goals in the long term, but also to serve as a legally binding basis for a variety of measures that are already set out in the Vienna Climate Roadmap. This also includes the “Get Out of Gas” initiative, which promotes the heating transition and positions the city as a pioneer in climate protection policy wien.gv.at explained further.

The Climate Act establishes a coordinated strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and promote renewable energies. The focus is on climate protection, climate adaptation and circular economy, while also taking the social dimension into account. The public is actively involved in the updating of the climate roadmap, which gives citizens the opportunity to make suggestions. In addition, the measures must provide a legal framework that guarantees both companies and environmental organizations a binding say. These joint efforts are intended to make Vienna a European role model for sustainable development and innovation, emphasized Vienna's Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr.