The climate conference is taking place in Vienna, but our environmental balance is sobering: lousy CO2 balance, too many streets and too little greenery.
Austria is increasingly lagging behind in climate and environmental policy – even though the Greens are in government. It doesn’t help that Alexander Van der Bellen’s heads of state pose with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the “Austrian World Summit” climate conference in Vienna.
Perhaps the mixed record is a reason why Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) is now taking radical steps: the Environment Minister wants to introduce one car-free day per month. Gewessler also plans to quadruple the carbon tax. According to “profil”, a speed limit of 90 km/h is also being considered on provincial roads.
In the energy, environment and transport sectors alone, there are currently 30 EU infringement proceedings against Austria and fines are now threatened due to the blocked Energy Efficiency Act. A look at figures and data shows that we have to catch up in many areas.
“Things are going worse than is often suggested. Compared to 1990, Austria has saved zero greenhouse gases, while other countries have achieved significant reductions. The main driver is traffic. Emissions here have increased by 57 percent. The second major problem is soil sealing,” says Hanna Simons of WWF-Austria.
Politicians must do more to protect the climate
“In general, we are bad, very bad even – measured by the wealth and the opportunities we would have,” climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb draws a sobering conclusion. Politicians must ensure that climate and environmentally friendly action becomes simpler, more attractive and cheaper.
Of concern is land use – at 11.3 hectares per day, this is more than four times the 2030 “sustainability target” (2.5 hectares). You can see this in the many shopping centers: With more than 1.5 square meters of retail space per capita, Austria ranks third in Europe behind Belgium and the Netherlands.
With a total of 128,000 kilometers of roads and therefore almost 14.3 meters of road per person, Austria has an extremely dense road network. In our neighboring countries Germany and Switzerland, the distance per head of the population is almost ten metres. According to a WWF survey, only about seven percent of Austria’s land area can be classified as “very close to nature”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
