Total greenhouse gas emissions (without LULUCF)

In Austria, greenhouse gas emissions (including from the land use, land use change and forestry sector) in 2022 remained at a level similar to that of 1990. Between 2007 and 2014, emissions showed a downward trend but, from 2014 onwards, they began to rise again. This increase was attributed to factors such as lower fossil fuel prices, strong economic growth and a lack of new, effective climate protection measures. However, emissions started to decrease again after 2018.

Since 2019, emissions have decreased significantly due to various factors: the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – particularly the rise in energy prices – and the implementation of more robust climate protection measures. The lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 led to reduced industrial production and transportation activity, while the surge in energy prices since early 2022 has accelerated efforts to improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energy sources. Enhanced climate protection measures have been instrumental in this development, helping to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions once again.

Austria’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been weakened by a combination of structural and policy challenges. Although Austria already has a relatively high share of renewables, particularly hydropower, it must address significant emissions from other sectors. The high rate of car ownership and reliance on private vehicles, combined with Austria’s role as a key transit route for heavy goods vehicles (often referred to as ‘tank tourism’), contribute to substantial emissions in the transport sector. Furthermore, the presence of emission-intensive industries, such as steel and cement production, poses challenges for decarbonisation efforts.

With the updated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) in 2024, additional policies and measures were introduced to meet Austria’s national targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation and to contribute to the EU’s greenhouse gas reduction target of – 55% compared with 1990.