Austria's climate action strategy

Austria's government aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2040, 10 years ahead of the EU's net-zero target (see trajectory in Figure 1). The country reduced its total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 % between 2005 and 2023, less than the EU average of 30 %. Most of Austria's emissions reductions stem from the emissions trading sector. For the effort-sharing sectors, Austria met its targets for 2020, but will need to increase ambitions significantly to deliver on the updated 2030 obligations. Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), historically a significant carbon sink, has declined in recent years, even delivering net emissions in 2018 and 2019. Austria held a public consultation on its draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) in 2023, but did not submit it, resulting in an infringement procedure. The country then submitted an updated NECP in August 2024, which the European Commission assessed as a draft NECP. A new infringement procedure calls for the final updated NECP. Austria dedicates 56 % of its €4 billion recovery and resilience plan to climate action. The plan includes a new REPowerEU chapter focusing on renewable energy and clean transport. Some 48 % of Austrians (compared with a 46 % EU average), consider climate change among the four most serious problems facing the world. A majority (59 %) expect business and industry to tackle climate change, with 52 % looking to the EU or national government, while 40 % see it as a personal responsibility.