Wind farms and sun

How Upper Austria wants to implement the Green Deal

Kaineder receives support from ÖVP politician Othmar Karas, of all people.

(Bild: TINA GERSTMAIR)

The EU's ambitious Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, has recently stuttered. Is it in danger of being scrapped altogether after the EU elections in June? State Councillor for the Environment Stefan Kaineder doesn't think so and wants to push through the green turnaround in Upper Austria too.

Farmers' protests, blocked legislative initiatives, watered-down targets: The Green Deal presented by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in 2019 has recently been torpedoed from various sides. This week, Stefan Kaineder (Greens), the Upper Austrian Councillor for the Environment, who wants to push ahead with the implementation of the necessary climate and nature conservation measures in this country, joined a delegation from Upper Austria to explore the mood in Brussels. And it is not entirely unclouded.

Point of contention: renaturation law
"Last summer, the Conservatives decided to destroy the Green Deal," says Green MEP Thomas Waitz. Specifically, this statement refers to the rejection of the renaturation law by conservative forces last June. Although it was later passed by a narrow majority, "renegotiations are now being called for once again", Waitz explains. If the law is passed, EU countries will have to restore at least 30 percent of damaged habitats in water and on land by 2030, 60 percent by 2040 and finally 90 percent by 2050.

Dispute over climate and energy plan
Austria is also not being consistent when it comes to the Green Deal. At the end of last year, European Affairs Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) withdrew the draft of the national climate and energy plan by Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). Austria must now submit the amended document by June in order to avoid risking infringement proceedings.

"If environmentally compatible projects are submitted, they can be approved past the black-blue coalition.

Umweltlandesrat Stefan Kaineder (Grüne)

Dispute over wind turbines
In addition, the conservative and right-wing groups are expected to make gains in the EU elections on June 9. Does this mean the Green Deal is dead? Kaineder doesn't think so: "The targets that have been set are workable. Now it's a matter of getting down to implementation." He wants to tackle the project in Upper Austria with the construction of wind farms and ground-mounted PV systems. However, there is a problem with nature conservation, for which Deputy Governor Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ) is responsible in this country and who is opposed to such projects - with the help of the ÖVP. However, Kaineder, who is responsible for environmental impact assessments, sees a loophole: "If environmentally compatible projects are submitted, they can be approved without the Black-Blue coalition."

Policy for 450 million EU citizens
He receives support in Brussels from one of the highest Austrian representatives of the conservatives, the First Vice-President of the EU Parliament, Othmar Karas (ÖVP): the Green Deal must be implemented step by step - "in dialog with the population". For Karas, one of these steps is "closing the gap in the gas storage power plants in Upper Austria". Karas cannot understand why some countries, including Austria, are undermining the Green Deal to a certain extent. "Polarization and nationalization are not a solution. We must be aware that we in the EU make policy for 450 million citizens."