New glimmers of hope

Saving the climate through green energy is within reach

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), significant progress is being made in the fight against global warming: Almost half of global electricity demand could be covered by renewable, i.e. ecologically compatible, energy by 2030 - an increase of 2.7 times, according to an analysis published in Paris. 

A crystal-clear statement in light of the targets agreed at the World Climate Conference in Paris in 2015: The radically changed climate and energy security policies of many countries have meant that so-called renewables can be offered at increasingly competitive costs compared to fossil-fired power plants.

"In almost all parts of the world, green electricity is the cheapest option for construction," confirms IEA Director Fatih Birol. He points out that the climate targets of tripling clean capacity set at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai in December can only be achieved if more is done internationally to reduce financing projects in emerging and developing countries.

According to domestic environmentalists, it is also essential that the electricity grids in Austria are also greatly expanded.

However, despite these many rays of hope on the gloomy climate change horizon, Greenpeace boss Alex Egit warns that nuclear energy - which is obviously on the rise worldwide - should not be classified as clean.