As the largest department of the responsible BMLUK, researchers from the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein were also involved in its creation.
https://aar2.ccca.ac.at/bericht
The report is currently the most comprehensive scientific work on climate change in Austria. Around 200 scientists from various disciplines contributed to its creation, coordinating their work across disciplines and reviewing it according to the highest scientific standards – following the model and standards of the IPCC reports.
Austria: Hotspot of warming and possible courses of action
The report clearly shows that Austria is particularly hard hit by the climate crisis. With a warming of 3.1 degrees Celsius, our country has warmed almost twice as much as the global average. The consequences are already noticeable and are intensifying: extreme weather events such as droughts, heat waves, and floods are increasing, groundwater levels are falling, and protective structures are reaching their limits.
Nevertheless, the report also offers grounds for hope: National and international climate targets are still achievable under certain conditions. In the long run, proactive climate protection and adaptation measures are significantly more cost-effective than dealing with the damage caused by the impacts of climate change. However, this requires decisive and coordinated action from government, politics, business, and society as a whole.
A look at agriculture
The report also examines agriculture. Encouragingly, emissions from this sector show a slight downward trend, from 8.0 million tons of CO₂ equivalents per year in 2000 to 7.6 million tons in 2023.
In addition to developments in agricultural production technology, a healthy diet and reduced food waste are also promising avenues for the economy and society in the future.
A key point of the report concerns Austria's consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions. These are the emissions generated by domestic demand along the entire value chain. They are approximately 40% higher than the emissions generated directly in Austria.
This is crucial because focusing solely on production-based emissions could lead to the relocation of emissions-intensive production abroad without reducing the global carbon footprint. The report demonstrates that policy instruments such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency can prevent such negative effects.
The path to climate neutrality
The report shows that climate neutrality in Austria is achievable and advantageous. To achieve this, we need a decarbonization plan with immediate and comprehensive measures in all sectors.
Especially in agriculture, the transition to a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient society requires a combination of protective and adaptation measures, including rapid decarbonization in the energy sector. To avoid negative impacts on the affected groups, a fair structural framework is crucial, one that aligns economic, social, and environmental priorities and provides targeted support.
Kick-off in Innsbruck: around 80 researchers from all over Austria met on July 6 and 7, 2022 for a first major working meeting about the preparation of the 2nd status report on climate change in Austria.
