Election series part 1

This is the state of climate protection in Vienna

Solar panels are installed on the House of the Sea.

(Bild: Diverse Fotografen honorarfrei/Wien Energie/Johannes Zinner)

As part of our election series, we are shedding light on the topic of climate protection this week. Let's start with an assessment. Conclusion: the city government is doing a lot, but there is still a long way to go to achieve climate neutrality.  

The climate is not at the top of the political agenda at the moment. But the changes are here and can be felt by everyone. In summer, one heatwave follows another, putting a heavy strain on humans, animals and plants. Winters lack snow and precipitation.

• While the city was still covered in a (thin) layer of white for an average of 40 days in the 1960s, the figure is now just 25. According to data from the Ubimet weather service, the number of days with a snow depth of over 10 centimetres has halved from 20 to 10. The reasons: It is generally snowing less and there is more frequent thawing. This may please car drivers, but it saddens children and nostalgics.

• In general, the "cold season" is getting warmer and warmer. The average temperature has risen by around one degree in the past 30 years. Extreme winters with two months of permafrost have become almost unthinkable. The "normal" average temperature in winter is around two degrees plus. This saves heating costs. On the other hand, air conditioning systems "eat up" almost more energy than the heaters in ultra-hot summer weeks.

Heat can be deadly. The city government must mitigate the harmful consequences. And it is doing so.

• Since the start of Red-Pink 2020, around 22,000 new trees have been planted and 165,000 square meters of new parks (equivalent to around 23 soccer pitches) have been created, according to the office of Climate Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky. The large but unevenly distributed green area of 50 percent of the city area is to be further increased. However, according to a data analysis by cartographer Camila Narbaitz, there is not a single tree on almost every second street in Vienna - as we reported. Some places - for example in Seestadt or on the Donauplatte - are pure concrete deserts and do no credit to the self-proclaimed "greenest city in the world". A funding pot in the three-digit million range is intended to remedy this situation.

1. sealing: whether on the Donauplatte (picture), in the Seestadt or elsewhere, there is a lack of trees and shade. 2. the biodiversity park is one of many projects to green up the city. 3. particulate matter: The air quality has improved over the years and is very good except for a few days with particulate matter. 4. rarity: The number of days on which it snows in Vienna has decreased significantly. 5. drought: The many long periods of drought are not only a problem for the Lobau.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Grüne Wien/Heidi Sequenz, Stadt Wien/Christian Fürthner, Brenek Malena (2), Kracher Kreativ)

"Out of gas" for 600,000 apartments
2040. This is a very important date for the current city government. Vienna should be climate-neutral by then. The specific way to achieve this is set out in the "Vienna Climate Roadmap".

• One very important step towards this is to convert the more than 600,000 apartments supplied with gas. This is because they are responsible for around a third of all emissions. How is the energy transition to succeed? The city is rolling out district heating on a large scale. Wherever it is locally possible, households should and can convert. Alternative forms such as geothermal energy, photovoltaics etc. have been financially supported and regulations have been made easier. However, when it comes to local authority buildings, the "get out of gas" strategy is still in its infancy. In other words, hundreds of housing complexes still use the old technology and barely a dozen buildings have a solar power system on the roof.

Progress is certainly being made in a related field. It's about particulate matter and air quality.

• Air quality has improved over the years. Measurements are taken at 13 stations. They are located in areas with heavy traffic, such as Taborstrasse and Wehlistrasse, as well as in recreational areas such as Schafberg and Lobau. 2024 was one of the best years in the history of Vienna's air quality. The fly in the ointment: two episodes of particulate matter in spring and fall. The maximum limits were exceeded on six days. A maximum of 25 exceedances is permitted.

A problem that is likely to increase further: Too little rainfall overall in the year. Long dry periods are not only a problem for the Lobau.

• The city has built a huge water pipeline to channel Danube water into the national park. Whether that will be enough remains to be seen. The city foresters are already rethinking. Spruce monocultures are a thing of the past. Vienna's forests are being planted with woods that can cope better with droughts.

All in all, the direction is right, but there is still a long way to go to reach the 2040 target we have set ourselves.