Helga Kromp-Kolb identifies a standstill in the government's measures. Austrian companies, on the other hand, are showing promising initiatives.

STANDARD: More than a year has passed since the Paris climate conference. The groundwork should really be being laid now to meet the targets. Is there any sign of this in Austria?

Helga Kromp-Kolb: Federal Chancellor Christian Kern's Plan A contains, for the first time in years, a major initiative with climate relevance. It includes, for example, the commitment to expanding renewable energies and e-mobility. In recent years, little progress has been made at the federal policy level in the area of climate protection.

STANDARD: What dynamics are holding back the government's climate protection measures?

Kromp-Kolb: It's not just climate protection that's going nowhere. As valuable as the social partnership is in discussions about capital and labour, and as important as it was after the war, it is equally restrictive when it comes to developments in education and climate. It's understandable: when there are discrepancies over holidays or money, both sides have an interest in finding a solution. With education and climate protection, life goes on even without one.

<link http: derstandard.at klimaforscherin-wir-verschlafen-wichtige-entwicklungen external-link-new-window external link in new>You can read the full interview by Julia Schilly with Helga Kromp-Kolb here.