2023-07-30 22:04:21
In Austria, 7.8 percent less fossil fuel was used in the first third of the year than in the first third of the previous year. The Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ) informed regarding this on Sunday. According to the analysis, gasoline consumption increased slightly, while diesel decreased by 10.2 percent.
Because of the drop in fuel consumption, CO2 emissions from road traffic have fallen. “In the first third of the year, less fuel was tanked in Austria, which not only saves money but also improves Austria’s climate balance,” said Michael Schwendinger from the VCÖ.
behavior changes
1.81 million tons of diesel and 0.48 million tons of petrol were filled up at Austrian pumps in the first third of the year. Compared to the first third of the previous year, petrol consumption increased by around 10,000 tons and diesel consumption fell by 205,000 tons, as stated in the oil statistics of the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection. In total, 195,000 tons less fuel was used. Compared to the first third of the pre-Corona year 2019, consumption even fell by 450,000 tons.
The VCÖ cites several reasons for the decline in diesel consumption. On the one hand, truck traffic, which almost exclusively fills up with diesel, has declined slightly. In addition, the registration figures for diesel cars are falling while those for electric cars are rising. Most recently, diesel was overtaken by BEVs (battery electric vehicles) in the new registration statistics for the first time. A third reason is changes in the behavior of road users, who drive more fuel-efficiently or increasingly switch to cycling or public transport. “It’s good to see here that many small contributions can add up to a lot,” said Schwendinger.
Away from climate target
If the trend of the first third of the year continues, the CO2 emissions from traffic will also fall in 2023 following 2022. In the previous year, traffic was still around eight million tons away from the climate target for 2030 – a maximum of 12.7 million tons.
“It’s good that traffic emissions are falling, but the bad thing is that they’re doing so too slowly. We have to reduce CO2 emissions more quickly and clearly,” says Schwendinger, referring to the studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Author
Mark Prince
Online Editor
Mark Prince
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