The Court of Audit (RH) has called on the Austrian government to accelerate climate protection. It is said that the ministries have only complied with the previous recommendations on two points. The RH had already warned in 2011 that the climate targets would not be achieved.
That would cost billions. This time, the Court’s report again criticized the lack of a climate protection law, delays in the national energy and climate plan and the threat of not meeting EU greenhouse gas targets. The European Commission had already rejected Austria’s plans to reduce greenhouse gases in October. The reasoning was that the information was not specific and therefore the design was not understandable.
Moreover, the Austrian government submitted the plan fourteen months late. That is why an infringement procedure is currently underway. The final concept was approved by the Council of Ministers in December.
More voices, climate advisory council
“With existing climate protection measures, Austria would significantly miss the EU greenhouse gas reduction target in 2030,” the auditors wrote in their report. The measures taken by the Ministries of Climate Protection and Finance were examined. They have not implemented half of all 20 previous recommendations at all, and another eight only partially. The ministries only followed the recommendations on two points.
In the most recent report, the Court of Audit criticized, among other things, the coordination between the responsible federal and state authorities, which needs to be improved in the sense of “overall audit responsibility”. One suggestion is a climate advisory board made up of scientists.
Regular monitoring of the measures taken for climate protection is also important. The tax legislation must be further made ecological; the cost of each purchase of emission certificates must be shared between the federal and state governments in a cost-effective manner.
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.
