This summer has once again shown that the fight against the climate crisis has a certain urgency, but in Austria CO₂ emissions are on the rise. With the entry of the Greens into the federal government, that should really change soon, but the law has been on hold for two years – according to ÖVP MP Johannes Schmuckenschlager it simply has “not a top priority”.
Despite the now massively observable effects of the climate catastrophe, the ÖVP makes it clear once again that it has no interest in a climate protection law. As the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” reported Monday, the last major rounds of negotiations took place a year ago. Currently, maximum drafts for the new law are sent back and forth.
Schmuckenschlager: act a “basic sound”
Green climate spokesman Lukas Hammer was angry with the coalition partner. “If I’m alone on the dance floor and want to dance the waltz, it won’t work.” There is currently no progress, admits ÖVP climate spokesman Johannes Schmuckenschlager. “The climate protection law is a background noise in the whole, but not the most important.”
At the moment an agreement is not very likely, so concrete measures are being negotiated, says Schmuckenschlager. “We also create the framework with a large number of other laws, such as the Renewable Energy Expansion Act, and one of the most important points will be that we also become faster with the environmental impact assessment. The climate protection law is not a top priority right now.”
Hammer: “We must finally take climate protection seriously”
After all, there are currently many crises to overcome, says the climate spokesperson for the ÖVP. For his counterpart in the Greens, that’s an excuse. “I’ve heard the same thing over the decades. There was always another crisis and climate protection was not a priority. I think we all see now that we finally have to take climate protection as seriously as science says, and that includes a climate protection law.” , criticized Hammer.
ÖVP “on the side of business”
The main point of contention with the new Climate Protection Act remains its binding nature. The Greens want to enshrine climate goals in the constitution — with sanctions for federal and state governments for misconduct. Not with the ÖVP, Schmuckenschlager says, following the wishes of the economy.
“Being on the corporate side has always been and will remain so. And I really don’t see that as a mistake. I think you have to look at it from the perspective of how we can bring this energy transition together with the economy, otherwise it’s not feasible.”
Law “ineffective” without sanctions
However, the Greens insist that sanctions and accountability will not work without the old climate protection law, which has now passed. “A climate protection law that is non-binding and has no effect and only applies to the federal government is ineffective because it is simply ignored. I’d rather not have a climate protection law,” says Hammer.
So a red line for the Greens. However, no agreement will be reached without further concessions, climate spokesman Hammer also knows. “We may not get past the ideal climate protection law — I’ve already had to say goodbye to this idea — but we need a climate protection law that takes us further.”
For now, the climate protection law, which has now been in effect for 600 days, remains nothing more than an announcement. When asked if it would ever happen, Schmuckenschlager replied on Ö1 radio: “I think so, yes. I just can’t say when.”
Source: Krone
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