Politics Minister: Austria achieves EU climate targets

According to the government, Austria can achieve the EU climate targets.

After a long struggle, the coalition of the conservative ÖVP and the Greens has agreed on a framework and a roadmap for halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005, said Austria's Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). "For the first time, we are on track."

The envisaged measures include high subsidies for replacing heating systems, the massive expansion of hydrogen production and the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies such as tax benefits for company cars. The diesel privilege - the mineral oil tax on diesel in Austria is around 8.5 cents per liter lower than on petrol - could also be overturned.

According to Gewessler, the next government - elections will be held in Austria in six weeks' time - is also bound by the plan. "In this case, we have a very firm, very clear and also very strict European regime," said the minister. Among other things, there is a threat of fines if the climate target is not met.

Austria will now submit its National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) to Brussels. In addition to reducing climate-damaging emissions, the EU targets also provide for a 57 percent share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. This target will now also be met, it said.