Greenhouse gas emissions in Austria have fallen to the lowest level since calculations began in 1990. Compared to last year, values fell by 6.4 percent, Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) welcomed a press conference on Thursday in Vienna. According to the minister, it is visible for the first time that environmental policy measures are effective. However, a closer look reveals that it is not so simple…
According to preliminary figures from the Federal Environment Agency, approximately 72.6 million tons of greenhouse gases were emitted in 2022. The decrease of about 6.4 percent compared to the previous year corresponds to a reduction of five million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. “This is really good news,” Gewessler said. The drop puts us “on the target path” of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and reaching the goal of carbon neutrality by then.
“Decline is happening in all areas”
“The second good news is that the decline was in all areas,” Gewessler referred to traffic, buildings, industry, etc. “That’s a picture I’ve never seen since I’ve been with the Federal Environmental Service,” emphasized Günther Lichtblau. , climate expert at the Federal Environmental Service. He called the overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions “remarkable”. It is a provisional balance for 2022, further data are not yet available. The fluctuation range is 0.5 percent, he assured.
In 2021, greenhouse gas emissions were up 4.9 percent from 2020. When asked, Gewessler and Lichtblau were optimistic that there would be no further setback after the previous year’s positive performance. But: “Climate protection as a marathon and not as a sprint means that measures are needed every year until 2040 to continue this development,” Gewessler emphasized. Scenarios show “very clearly” that “we will not achieve the climate targets if we do not take further measures”, according to Lichtblau.
Praise for turquoise green climate policy
However, the praise of the turquoise-green climate policy needs to be viewed a little more critically, as even the statement from the Federal Environmental Service indicates that the decline, especially in private transport, is likely related to the significant increase in fuel prices in the summer of 2022.
In addition, Wifo’s energy statistics show a significant decrease in the number of heating degree days in Austria. The high energy prices probably did the rest – and they also hit the country’s industry, which has also been shown to have reduced CO2 emissions.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
