klima:aktiv Climate Strategy 2008 - 2012
In response to climate change challenges, Austria developed the "Strategie Oesterreichs zur Erreichung des Kyoto-Ziels - Klimastrategie 2008/2012"; This is a comprehensive strategy which lays out a series of measures intended to curb the country's GHG-emissions by 13% below 1990 levels up to 2008-2012, as stipulated in the EU burden-sharing. The Klimastrategie was released in July 2002. Responsibility for the implementation of the Klimastrategie is shared amongst various federal and Laender government institutions. Austrian policies and measures designed to achieve the GHG emissions reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol are mainly related to energy efficiency and broken down into seven packages of measures (space heating/private consumption, electricity and heat production, transport, industry, waste management, agriculture and forestry, and three fluor-compounds). Space Heating and Small Consumption - Thermal improvement of existing building stock. - Enhanced technical standards for new buildings. - Increasing share of renewable energy sources and district heating. - Increasing boiler efficiency. - Switching to fuels with lower (fossil) carbon content. - Demand-side measures to reduce electricity demand. Energy Supply - Forcing the role of renewable energy sources and efficient district heating systems. - Electricity production and various means of supporting non-polluting electricity generating systems that are not currently commercially competitive in a liberalised market. - Heat production in the form of maximising benefits of indigenous biomass resources. - Cross-cutting measures which would include energy-related taxes and earmarking for climate change related measures. Transport - Financial instruments for motor vehicles (i.e. fuel consumption based registration taxes and road tolls). - Regional and urban rail transport investments. - Improvement of fuel quality and promotion of bio-diesel. - 'Car free' tourism projects (e.g. building public transportation at heavily-frequented tourism locations). - Technology innovation. - Traffic management, reducing speed limits, and improvement of spatial planning. Industry Policies and measures for the manufacturing industry aim at supporting a continuation of efforts undertaken by companies. Such policies encourage the use of renewable energies, greater energy efficiency, and the implementation of an emission trading regime. Elaborating on earlier climate change mitigation strategies, the klima:aktiv program combines various market-constituent measures and effectuates target-oriented implementation, by providing easier access to target groups and resources for attaining the commonly set targets, by enhanced know how-transfer with support in vocational training and networking of important actors, by the organisation and development of quality assurance and standards as well as by target group-specific information and marketing. The overall objective is to reduce energy consumption and to enforce CO2-neutral usage of energy. klima:aktiv seeks to affect a breakthrough in the use of climate-friendly technologies and services for increased energy-efficiency and of renewable energy sources, as well as to accrue their market shares in different fields. The initiative is aimed at enhancing quality and accelerate introduction of climate friendly technologies and services, which shall become the self-evident alternatives for companies and for private end-users as soon as possible. By activating all relevant actors through networking the business location of Austria will be strengthened in a sustainable and innovative way. klima:aktiv programmes educate those investing in climate-relevant areas (i.e. promotors of residential housing projects, companies, and home builders) by developing expertise of the providers of respective services (master builders, architects) and by promoting experienced workers on their relevant markets. The government provides about 5 million euros per year.
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