120 measures

Climate neutral in 5 years: Advisory board supports the state

Climate researcher Kromp-Kolb with Deputy Governor Eisenkopf and CEO Sharma.

(Bild: Landesmedienservice/Siess)

A climate advisory board was formed in Burgenland on Tuesday to support the province in the implementation and further development of the climate strategy adopted in 2023. It will be chaired by climate researcher Helga Kromp-Kolb and include nine experts from areas such as climate protection, biodiversity, research, mobility and agriculture, explained Deputy Governor Astrid Eisenkopf (SPÖ).

The climate strategy consists of 120 measures that are to be successively implemented. The advisory board is to evaluate these on an ongoing basis, make recommendations to the province, introduce new ideas and monitor implementation. "The aim is to really achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2030," emphasized Eisenkopf. Burgenland should thus become climate-neutral and energy-independent.

"Too slow and too cautious"
Kromp-Kolb welcomed the fact that the province had set itself ambitious targets. In view of the recent sharp rise in temperatures, more cautious targets, such as those set throughout Austria and in the EU, are "perhaps too slow and too cautious", said the climate researcher. In addition to measures to combat climate change, society must also prepare itself to deal with the changes brought about by global warming. "The unexpected will become more and more common," emphasized Kromp-Kolb.

Expert panel
In addition to her, the Climate Advisory Board will include Thomas Wrbka from the University of Vienna in the area of biodiversity, FH Burgenland Supervisory Board Chairwoman Gabriele Ambros in the area of research, Esterhazy Board Member Matthias Grün in the area of agriculture, Provincial Real Estate Managing Director Jutta Benedek in the area of buildings and Wolfgang Trimmel, Managing Director of Netz Burgenland, in the area of network. The nine voting members are also accompanied by seven other supporters.

"World champion of the energy transition"
Eisenkopf and Stephan Sharma, Chairman of Burgenland Energie, expressed their satisfaction with the implementation of the climate strategy to date. While the Deputy Governor emphasized the measures already taken to raise awareness in schools and the energy consulting service introduced in 2023, Sharma quickly crowned Burgenland the "world champion in the energy transition". In wind power, the installed capacity increased by 23 percent from 1,171 megawatts in 2020 to 1,440 megawatts in 2024. According to Burgenland Energie, photovoltaic capacity rose by 512 percent from 80 to 490 megawatts in the same period.

Optimism
In the past four years, it has been possible to increase energy independence from 50 to 62 percent, said Sharma. The aim is to reach 70 percent by 2025. The goal is 100 percent by 2030 and Burgenland Energie is optimistic that this can be achieved. In addition to wind and solar power, an offensive in the field of energy storage should help, according to Sharma.