In the Climate Protection Report 2017 (<link http: www.umweltbundesamt.at fileadmin site publikationen rep0622.pdf external-link-new-window external link in new>Download the report), published on 31 August, the Federal Environment Agency has analysed the development of greenhouse gas emissions up to 2015. The report focuses on trends and economic influencing factors of greenhouse gas emissions in Austria since 1990. The downward trend between 2005 and 2014 could not be continued in 2015. Greenhouse gas emissions in Austria rose by 3.2% from 2014 to 2015 and stand at 78.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The increase of around 2.5 million tonnes compared to 2014 is mainly attributable to the following factors: In the energy supply sector, weather conditions caused a shift in domestic electricity production from hydropower to thermal power plants. In the transport sector, sales of fossil fuels increased. In the building sector and in the industry and energy sector (outside emissions trading), the comparatively very warm winter season of 2014 gave way to weather-related higher heating demand, resulting in increased consumption of natural gas and heating oil in particular.

For the years 2013 to 2020, Austria has maximum limits in place for greenhouse gases from transport, buildings, agriculture, waste management and all other sources not covered by emissions trading. As was already the case in 2013 and 2014, the respective national target was also met in 2015: The 2015 target value is 51.5 million tonnes, while actual emissions from these sectors were around 49.3 million tonnes — approximately 2.2 million tonnes below the target. The experts at the Federal Environment Agency expect Austria's climate target to be met by 2020.

Outlook to 2050

To achieve the 2030 targets — which for Austria, according to the European Commission's proposal, amount to minus 36% compared to 2005 (for emission sources outside emissions trading) — and to achieve a largely fossil-free energy system by 2050, far-reaching measures to reduce the use of fossil energy are essential. "Climate change is a major challenge for which we need to find solutions together. To keep the costs at a manageable level, we need to act quickly," urges Jürgen Schneider. "When it comes to investments, the focus should be particularly on long-lived infrastructure and future-proof technologies that enable a phase-out of fossil energy use."

Text: <link http: www.umweltbundesamt.at aktuell presse lastnews news2017 news_170831 external-link-new-window external link in new>Federal Environment Agency

The report was also picked up by the Austrian media and linked to, in some cases, sharp criticism of the political implementation of climate protection!

• <link http: www.salzburg.com nachrichten oesterreich chronik sn artikel klimaschutzbericht-2017-sieht-dringenden-handlungsbedarf-262937 external-link-new-window external link in new>Climate protection report identifies "urgent need for action" (Salzburger Nachrichten, 31 August 2017)
• <link http: derstandard.at oesterreich-ist-beim-klimaschutz-am-holzweg external-link-new-window external link in new>Austria is on the wrong track when it comes to climate protection (derStandard, 06 September 2017)
• <link https: kurier.at politik inland klimaschutz-bericht-zeigt-erneut-total-versagen-der-politik external-link-new-window external link in new>Climate protection report once again reveals total failure of politics (Kurier, 31 August 2017)