According to a report by the Environment Agency Austria, greenhouse gas emissions in Austria dropped by 7.7 per cent between 2019 and 2020. The main reason for this reduction lies in the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which brought wide-ranging restrictions on the economy and society. For 2021, the Environment Agency Austria expects emissions to rise again by around four per cent, due to significantly weaker pandemic effects.

"The pandemic has had drastic impacts on many areas of the economy and everyday life. This is also reflected in the 2020 greenhouse gas balance. But it also shows us: a crisis is no substitute for climate policy. To sustainably reduce our emissions, we need bold decisions in favour of climate protection," said Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) in response to the current greenhouse gas balance for 2020.

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