Mixed reactions

Climate plan between salvation and doom

Minister Gewessler is very satisfied.

(Bild: Caj Perwein)

After months of wrangling within the coalition and after a long delay, Austria is sending the National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) to Brussels. However, there is no real agreement between the ÖVP and the Greens, with the People's Party already taking a defensive stance on the abolition of the diesel privilege and the commuter allowance.

While Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) presents the end of all climate-damaging subsidies such as the diesel or service car privilege as a given, the ÖVP vehemently disagrees. "We have agreed on the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies," said Gewessler at the presentation of the paper. "We are now finally tackling issues such as the diesel privilege or the tax advantage for company cars."

ÖVP is already taking a defensive stance
The ÖVP disagrees. The Finance Minister responsible, Magnus Brunner, said that the details of the measures to be taken had "not yet been clarified". "Specific subsidies, such as the diesel privilege or the commuter allowance, are not explicitly listed in the plan. What is laid down in the plan, however, is the analysis of all climate-counterproductive subsidies by a working group in the Ministry of Finance, which we will set up in the fall."

Specific subsidies, such as the diesel privilege or the commuter allowance, are not explicitly mentioned in the plan.

Finanzminister Magnus Brunner

Bild: REUTERS

Reactions among experts, environmental protection organizations, business, science and industry as well as the opposition are completely contradictory. Some see economic doom, others see long-awaited progress. The transport association VCÖ, for example, welcomes the plan and urges the rapid implementation of the measures. The NGO "attack", on the other hand, sees a plan "without impact".

Light and shade in the turquoise-green plan
The NEKP shows how Austria can halve its climate-damaging emissions by 2030. This is welcomed by the environmental protection organizations Greenpeace and GLOBAL 2000, but they miss binding targets and criticize the fact that the plan partly relies on carbon storage to achieve the reduction target. The climate plan contains light and shade, summarizes the think tank "oecolution". Some measures are positive, but there are also considerable risks for Austria as a business location.

Much criticism from the business community
The business community itself is largely critical. For example, the Chamber of Commerce fears that too little consideration is being given to security of supply and competitiveness. "Energy policy must not be viewed one-sidedly, but must reconcile the decarbonization of the economy, security of supply and the competitiveness of our companies," says the Chamber of Commerce. The Federation of Austrian Industries and the automotive industry have a similar view: they see "excessive voluntary commitments at the expense of competitiveness" and fear a premature end for the combustion engine.

The cornerstones on the road to reducing emissions

• Abolition of climate-damaging subsidies (e.g.: diesel privilege, tax benefits for company cars) amounting to at least two million tons of CO2 per year in 2030.
• Continuation of the high subsidies for replacing heating systems and renovating buildings until 2030.
• Massive expansion of hydrogen production for use in domestic industry.
• Use of permanent CO2 storage in sectors in which climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions cannot be avoided in any other way.

The FPÖ even sees the climate plan as a "death blow for individual mobility, SMEs and the economy". It threatens the end of the diesel privilege and the commuter allowance. The NoVA will probably also be increased, the Blue Party suspects. The SPÖ, on the other hand, does not think the plan goes far enough. It sees only declarations of intent by the Climate Minister, which the ÖVP has already watered down as 'over-interpretation'.

SPÖ climate spokesperson Julia Herr

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

"It is outrageous and inglorious how the Greens are trying to present themselves as doers before the election, even though nothing is in the bag," says SPÖ climate spokesperson Julia Herr. NEOS climate spokesperson Michael Bernhard also found empty promises and nice headlines.