Austria's climate policy: Threats around 62 billion euros in failures!

Austria's climate policy: Threats around 62 billion euros in failures!

Österreich - Austria faces challenging climate goals and warns of declining progress. Gottfried Kirchengast, a climate researcher from Graz, has sent the national climate protection committee (NKK) alarming information. In order to be able to comply with the requirements of the Paris Agreement, an annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by more than 8% by 2030 is required. So far, Austria has achieved a reduction of 14% since 1990, which is for some worrying. In comparison, the EU average is 36%, while Denmark is a model with a 50%reduction in CO2 emissions. According to Exxpress.at, Denmark considers climate protection as an overall task, an approach that is still pending in Austria.

church guest comments concerned about the Austrian CO2 budget, which was already exhausted in 2021. There is currently a deficit of 208 million tons of CO2, which could mean that in the future, climate damage costs of at least 62 to 187 billion euros will come to Austria. The need for comprehensive climate protection legislation is becoming more and more urgent to overcome these challenges.

national climate policy and the NEKP

The national energy and climate plan (NEKP) forms the basis for Austria's climate protection strategy and was developed to combat climate change. It includes both political and economic measures and is based on the goals of the "Fit for 55" package of the EU. This goal provides for a 55%reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, with Austria even striving for a more ambitious time frame by 2040. According to the information from Environmental Bundesamt.at, the current mix of measures enables a reduction of 35% by 2030 in sectors not subject to the EU emission trade system.

To achieve the EU goals, however, there are still 13 percentage points. Public consultations are planned to integrate stakeholders, NGOs and political parties into the process. Your suggestions are checked by the Ministry of Climate Protection and integrated into the NEKP. The final plan must be transmitted to the EU by June 2024.

strategies for the future

The NEKP covers five central dimensions: decarbonization, energy efficiency, safety of energy supply, energy market as well as research and innovation. Important measures include the promotion of renewable energies, the expansion of photovoltaic systems and stricter standards for buildings to reduce energy consumption. The goals of the NEKP aim to create a more sustainable and efficient energy system in Austria that also takes into account the needs of low -income households.

How to illustrate the publication on [sustainable wirtschafts.at] (https:// sachtäustwirtschaften.at/de/publikations/strategies/nationalal-energie-und-klimaplan-2023-2024.php), the NEKP is a central instrument for achieving national and European climate targets. Its implementation is not only a challenge, but also an opportunity for Austria to take on a pioneering role on the way to climate neutrality.