To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, but also to secure Austria's position as a centre for science and business, we need strong partners who can work together to guide Austria towards an ecologically and economically sustainable future through evidence-based decision-making. The global rise in greenhouse gas emissions to a record high has now led to a level of carbon dioxide concentrations not seen for millions of years. If this trend continues, a dramatic warming of the Earth's atmosphere is to be expected. The negotiators of the new government programme are therefore called upon to send a clear signal and make Austria an international frontrunner in climate and energy policy.
The Austrian climate research community has demonstrated, through the establishment of the Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA), that cooperative approaches and pooling of resources can lead to major advances in researching the issue of climate change, and that the research findings can be communicated far more efficiently and effectively to authorities, agencies, and citizens when working together. Through funding the CCCA via university resources, as well as establishing the Climate and Energy Fund, previous Austrian federal governments have taken important first steps in effectively tackling global warming. This not only brought climate research together under one roof, but also set in motion concrete, innovative projects for the transition to an emissions-free society. Consistently pursuing this path would be beneficial not least for the economy, which needs clear and stable frameworks over many years.
"CCCA stands for 'Responsible Science' and sustainability, and has established itself since its founding in 2011 as a network for the entire Austrian climate research community. CCCA and its members are available to authorities, ministries, federal states, and municipalities as a committed partner in assessing and addressing the challenges of climate change. To do this, however, it's necessary to provide suitable and adequately funded financing instruments," emphasises Gerhard Wotawa, Chair of CCCA. Projects such as the Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change (AAR14) or the widely noted study on the costs of climate policy inaction (COIN – Costs of Inaction) would not have been possible without the resources of the Climate and Energy Fund. In the future, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and the transformation of the Austrian economy that this requires will demand significantly greater resources and far more intensive cooperation.
The climate research network Climate Change Centre Austria
The Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA) association brings together all institutions relevant to climate research in Austria. Its aim is to promote constructive climate dialogue. CCCA serves as a point of contact for research, policy, business, civil society, and the media on all questions relating to climate research in Austria. CCCA has produced the "Austrian Assessment Report on Climate Change", the most comprehensive collection of scientific facts on the topic of climate change in Austria to date. In addition, the CCCA Data Centre has been set up as a freely accessible platform for high-quality research data. The service centre brings together scientists, decision-makers in public administration and business, as well as civil society. Recently, a "Science Plan" was also developed as a guiding framework for domestic climate research, which is intended to provide orientation for research funding bodies as well.
