2023-05-13 03:12:25
From the fundamental right to climate protection to stopping soil sealing – the climate council made more than 90 recommendations in July 2022. One includes “the recommendations in all our work”, it says regarding a year later from the Ministry of the Environment. Glaciologist Georg Kaser, co-head of the scientific advisory board in the climate council, remains convinced of its concept, but does not feel that the Austrian climate protection measures are sufficient.
In the first half of 2022, 100 randomly selected people developed recommendations for politicians over six weekends in order to achieve climate neutrality in 2040. Climate protection minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) lets the ministry know that some have already been implemented and others are in the works – with the “Circularity Hub” there is already a central office for the circular economy, and the ban on the destruction of new goods is currently being coordinated within the government the amendment to the monument protection law currently being developed by the Ministry of Culture also included the proposals of the climate council. In addition, the recommendations should be taken into account in a new climate and energy plan – “where this is possible in our area” – according to the ministry. This must be submitted to the EU Commission by mid-2024.
At the end of November 2022, the Ministry of the Environment responded to the recommendations with a 130-page paper, explaining whether, how and by whom the points might be implemented. The recommendations of the Climate Council also fall within the areas of responsibility of all other ministries and the federal states, according to the Ministry of the Environment. At the time, there were rather pessimistic statements regarding the basic right to climate protection, which might not be implemented due to the lack of a constitutional majority, and the reorganization of spatial planning competences away from the municipalities also fell within the area of the constitutional legislature. Reference was also made to what has already been achieved, such as CO2 pricing, the promotion of public transport or the renovation offensive in residential areas as part of environmental promotion.
The Climate Council probably did not convince those politicians who were opposed to climate protection and citizens’ councils anyway, but had been heard by others, Kaser summed up. He speaks of different reactions in the countries – for example, when the proposals were presented in Tyrol, there was a “very good exchange”. However, the Austrian efforts in terms of climate neutrality in 2040 are not sufficient for him. All in all, we are far from a CO2 reduction, “even if there are efforts here and there,” says Kaser.
The fact that a fundamental right to climate protection demanded by the climate council or a replacement for the climate protection law that expired more than two years ago is “political reality” for Kaser, but given the urgency he cannot understand the rejection. A 100 km/h speed limit did not make it into the recommendations of the climate council due to the resistance of individuals. However, this is important and can be implemented quickly, according to Kaser: This limits both CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. A carbon footprint should also be calculated before each project, he recommends.
The council finally handed over its results to Gewessler and Economics Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) in July 2022. When asked by the APA following dealing with the recommendations since then, the Ministry of Economic Affairs referred to the Ministry of the Environment, on whose initiative the Climate Council was created, as well as the “Climate and Transformation Offensive”: This supports business and industry “among other things in the switch to renewable energies and the creation of new fields of competence in the field of “green jobs”. 600 million euros will be made available for this in the coming years. The climate council had been asked to support the labor market in the direction of climate protection.
Kaser continues to support the idea behind the climate council. A democratic policy instrument was tried out at the federal level that was “very, very successful”. He recommends using citizens’ councils on other issues as well – especially in the current times of crisis, which would overwhelm those in government and drive the population to the political fringes. The climate council saw that people were ready to break out of their comfort zone. In any case, the climate council was sustainable for those involved: Many of them are still active in the climate council association.
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