VIENNA: Leonore Gewessler, Austria’s Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology, confirmed that the country is on track to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.
She said that greenhouse gas emissions in Austria decreased by 6.4 percent last year compared to the previous year, attributing this reduction to climate protection measures and policies implemented by the government.
In her statement, Gewessler emphasised Austria’s continued efforts to expand the use of renewable energy, highlighting the effectiveness of the government’s initiatives in transitioning to green electricity and supporting the shift to green heating systems, such as heat pumps.
The government is also focusing on improving thermal insulation in buildings and promoting public transportation through the reduced climate ticket, she said.
The Austrian Federal Environment Office reported that the 6.4 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions corresponds to a reduction of 4.7 million tonne
s of carbon dioxide equivalent. Last year’s emissions were initially estimated at about 68.2 million tonnes. The total reduction in emissions for both 2021 and 2022 was 11.9 percent.
Data from last year also showed a 3.8 percent year-on-year decline in greenhouse gas emissions from the traffic, vehicles, and transportation sector, which accounts for 29 percent of total greenhouse emissions, amounting to 19.8 million tonnes. Additionally, there was a reduction of about 1.5 million tonnes of emissions in the buildings sector.
Source: Emirates News Agency
