Scientists for Future Austria
In the super election year of 2024, scientists from Scientists for Future are analyzing the climate policy of the Austrian parliamentary parties and visiting the party headquarters to make their criticism heard there. The first visit was to the ÖVP, where almost 4 scientists gathered on April 100th. Leonore Theuer, judge and employee of the politics and law department at Scientists vor Future, confronted the climate protection program with which the current government came into power with reality:
“The best of both worlds” was the motto of the collaboration between what was then still turquoise and green. The government program for 2020 to 2024 promised a real turnaround in climate protection: Climate neutrality in Austria by 2040. Austria as a climate protection pioneer! But what does the reality look like after four years?
Greenhouse gas reduction
The government program envisages climate neutrality in Austria by 2040. The dip in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 can be attributed to Corona, and the fact that Austria was quite well on track in 2022 and 2023 is only to a small extent due to the implementation of legislative proposals.
Constitution
Contrary to the plan, no contemporary competence framework was developed for the responsibilities of the federal and state governments. Structural changes would be necessary, such as federal authority for climate protection, so that uniform regulations can be created.
Human and children's rights: There was no strengthening. When it comes to children's rights, General Comment No. 26 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child would have provided an opportunity to strengthen ecological children's rights in Austria and to improve access to the law (legal protection).
Climate protection and energy
The governing parties have set the goal of generating 2030% (nationally balanced) electricity from renewable energy sources by 100, with clear expansion goals for all technologies. The Renewable Energy Expansion Act was passed in 2021. However, the transition is too slow. Spatial planning, tenancy law and building law would also have to be redesigned. The expansion of wind power is stagnating.
The development of a new climate protection law with binding emission reduction paths was not implemented! The emissions reduction paths of the old Climate Protection Act expired in 2020.
Mandatory and independent climate checks for all new and existing laws have not been implemented
The phase-out from fossil fuels in space heating from 2020 and a heating strategy to completely decarbonize the heating market only resulted in a ban on installing gas and oil heating in new buildings. There are subsidies for the switch, but there is no obligation.
One million roofs should be equipped with photovoltaics. Accordingly, by 2030, every second roof of the 2,4 million buildings in Austria would have to have a PV system. However, the actual expansion is much lower; despite the increase, PV electricity only accounts for around 5% in Austria.
Ecosocial tax reform
CO2 pricing including a climate bonus was implemented. It is currently 45 euros per ton. For comparison: In Switzerland, Sweden and Liechtenstein the CO2 tax is over 100 euros each. But the actual damage is still much higher: the German Federal Environment Agency, for example, expects the economic costs of global warming to be up to 2 euros per ton of CO800.
Airline ticket tax: A uniform regulation of 12 euros per flight ticket was implemented.
The plan was to green and increase the accuracy of the commuter allowance. The opposite happened. The flat rate was increased by 2022% from May 2023 to June 50, high incomes are preferred, ecological incentives are missing. According to WIFO calculations from 2021, the lowest income quarter received only three percent of the tax-effective commuter allowance cake, while the highest income quarter received a piece that was around twelve times as large.
Education
The government program called for modernizing curricula, particularly with regard to climate change and ecologically responsible behavior. In fact, environmental education has become more firmly anchored in the curricula. What the implementation looks like in practice remains to be seen.
Transport and infrastructure
The transport sector causes around 28% of greenhouse gas emissions. The climate ticket has been realized! Nevertheless, the problem remains that emissions have increased by almost 1990 percent compared to 50 and the shift to public transport, shared mobility and electrification is progressing far too slowly.
Soil consumption
As early as 2002 (not a typo!), consumption was supposed to be limited to 2,5 hectares per day. The 2020 government program still has a target of a reduction to 2,5 hectares per day by 2030. However, it is currently more than 11 hectares per day! The trend is rising instead of falling. A nationwide soil protection strategy has failed.
VP opposes binding rules and improvements in legal protection
Summarized The ÖVP shows a tendency against binding regulations and against improving legal protection (possibility of legal action). Although climate protection can be supported financially, it should, if possible, do without bans. However, the necessary legal changes towards greenhouse gas neutrality do not appear to be possible.
The government program promised to make our legal system climate-fit. Only a small part was realized.
In order to counteract global warming, the legal framework must also be created.
The coming elections are also crucial for this!
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