Austria under pressure: Brussels demands faster exit from fossils!
Austria under pressure: Brussels demands faster exit from fossils!
Vienna, Österreich - The European Commission sharply criticized Austria in its final assessment of the national energy and climate plans (NEKP) and calls for a rapid implementation of measures to reduce fossil fuels and the promotion of renewable energies. In a document published in Brussels on Wednesday, the Commission notes that Austria's final plan has been filed late and now has to be implemented urgently in order to achieve the agreed climate goals. Austria presented its final NEKP on December 18, 2024, almost six months after the deadline of June 30, 2024. This delay was due to disputes between the government coalitions of the ÖVP and the Greens.
Austria has undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, and the EU can be achieved in a promising path. However, the EU authorities criticize that some recommendations from previous ratings in the final plan have been insufficiently implemented. A quarter of the emission reduction in Austria has not yet been fully implemented. The Commission has recommended additional measures, such as reducing subsidies for fossil fuels and the introduction of carbon separation and storage to reach the 2030 goals in good time.
claims from Brussels
The Commission calls for the existing subsidies for fossil fuels and a detailed schedule for graduation. Furthermore, the promotion of the thermal renovation of buildings and the use of renewable energies must be promoted immediately. A modernization of the heating systems is also essential. The creation of a supportive framework for renewable energies in all sectors is strongly recommended to inform the citizens and companies about financing options and the advantages of renewable technologies.
The basis of the NEKP is the Wam scenario (with additional Measures) of the Federal Environment Agency. This looked at the greenhouse gas reduction based on decided legislative initiatives and programs. Current measures in the sectors that are not subject to the EU emission trade system could enable a reduction of 35 percent by 2030 compared to 2005. However, this means that Austria is still 13 percentage points away from the EU goals. For this purpose, a public consultation for stakeholders, NGOs and political parties is intended to collect and check suggestions to achieve the reduction.
EU climate protection policy and goals
In the context of EU climate protection policy, the aim is to reduce the effects of climate change and to reduce environmental and climate-damaging activities. This is done in compliance with international agreements such as the Paris Agreement. As part of its long-term strategy "A clean planet for everyone", the EU has set itself the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The EU Green Deal, passed in December 2019, forms the growth strategy for it.
A central instrument are the national energy and climate protection plans (NECPS), which are binding for all Member States to strategically plan emission reductions and the expansion of renewable energies. The EU has also created legal framework conditions, such as the EU climate law decided in July 2021, which legally anchored the greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050 and a reduction in emissions by 55 percent by 2030.
The Commission continues to work on strategies to ensure climate policy goals and in the spring of 2024 proposed a reduction destination for 2040, which strives for 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. Measures such as the Repower EU package should accelerate the transition to clean energy and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.
The pressure from Brussels will not let up, and the coming months will be decisive for Austrian climate policy.
For further information on the current developments and recommendations in climate and energy policy, visit the articles from vienna.at , Environmental Bundesamt.at and Details Ort Vienna, Österreich Quellen
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