Global 2000

Heat transition: Environmentalists praise Salzburg

Salzburg wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, ten years later than Austria as a whole. However, the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 is more ambitious than that of most other federal states.

(Bild: dpa-Zentralbild/Patrick Pleul)

The environmental protection organization Global 2000 has subjected all the federal states to a heat transition check. The results are more than disappointing - even in Salzburg. 

"The issue of the heating transition must now finally be seriously addressed and implemented in all federal states. There are still too many omissions everywhere," says Johannes Wahlmüller, climate and energy spokesperson for Global 2000, because: "There is a lack of sufficiently ambitious targets, the renovation rate is too low and there needs to be a much greater focus on replacing heating systems with climate-friendly systems. Furthermore, there are no clear plans to phase out fossil fuels in district heating."

"Ambitious, but late"
Salzburg wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, ten years later than Austria as a whole. However, the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 is more ambitious than that of most other federal states. With a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 2012 and 2022, Salzburg has achieved the greatest reduction of all the federal states. The decline in fossil heating systems is noticeable: in 2013, 34% of Salzburg households still heated with oil or gas, whereas in 2023 this figure had fallen to 27%. However, at 1.4%, the renovation rate is below the required 3%.

"Salzburg has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions more than any other federal state. However, further efforts are needed to phase out the remaining oil and gas heating systems. It is also important to reduce energy consumption by carrying out more thermal renovations and increasing the quality of these renovations," says Wahlmüller.