The focus: the focus: Economic Roundtable with EU Commissioner in Vienna!

The focus: the focus: Economic Roundtable with EU Commissioner in Vienna!

Haus der Europäischen Union, Wien, Österreich - On June 4, 2025, an important economic roundtable took place in the House of the European Union in Vienna, to which the environmental and climate minister Norbert Tettschnig had invited together with the Austria Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ). Representatives of leading Austrian companies took part in this meeting to discuss current and future climate policy measures at the EU level. A central focus was on the "Clean Industrial Deal" , the goal of which is the sustainable decarbonization of European industry and strengthening its competitiveness.

"Austrian companies are considered a pioneer in the development of sustainable solutions," noticeable. The participants discussed the challenges in front of which companies are standing in order to achieve the EU's climate neutrality by 2050. It was emphasized that investments in climate protection should also be investments in competitiveness. The aim is to create suitable framework conditions for innovative solutions and to secure global competitiveness.

important measures and strategic orientations

The Secretary General of the WKÖ, Jochen Danninger, emphasized the importance of a dialogue with the EU Commission and called for quick measures, in particular to strengthen carbon leakage measures in the EU emission trade system. There was consensus that lead markets were built up, bureaucracy has to be reduced and close cooperation between business and politics had to be promoted.

Another central topic was that climate protection and economic success should be seen as a common opportunity for sustainable growth. The talks took place in the context of the Austrian World Summit, who would like to send international signals for climate protection and innovation in the same week.

framework conditions of European climate policy

The discussion fits into the framework conditions of European climate policy that aim to weaken the effects of climate change and to reduce environmental and climate-damaging activities. These committed efforts are related to international agreements such as the UN climate framework, the Kyoto protocol and the Paris Agreement, all of which are aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The EU has already made progress: In 2020, greenhouse gas emissions were around 3 million kilotons CO₂ equivalent, with the energy sector contributing around 26 % of emissions. The aim of EU policy is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, supported by the EU Green Deal, which was adopted in December 2019 and is a comprehensive growth strategy to achieve these climate goals.

Part of this strategy includes the EU climate protection law decided in 2021, which legally determines that greenhouse gas neutrality must be reached by 2050. In addition, in February 2024, a proposal by the EU Commission for the Neto-Reduction of THG emissions by 90 % by 2040 was submitted, which underlines the urgency and seriousness of climate protection policy.

The current dynamics in the field of climate policy and the various initiatives provide clear impulses for how the European economy can be designed to be climate and future-proof. The Economic Roundtable in Vienna represents an important step towards increased cooperation between politics and business in order to achieve these ambitious goals.

Overall, the talks and shared goals show that Austria is not only active participants, but also a pioneer in climate protection. The linking of economic success and environmentally conscious action can be considered a model for future developments.

*Further information can be found on OTS and Environmental Federal Agency .