Court of Audit calls for more speed

Recommendations on climate protection not implemented

The Austrian Court of Audit (ACA) has called on the Austrian government to step up its climate protection efforts. The ministries have only complied with the earlier recommendations in two points, it says. The Court of Audit had already warned of missed climate targets in 2011.

This would cost billions. This time in its report, the Court of Audit once again criticized the lack of a climate protection law, tardiness in the national energy and climate plan and the threat of missing the EU greenhouse gas targets. The EU Commission had already rejected Austria's plans on how to reduce greenhouse gases in October. The reason given was that the information was not specific and the draft was therefore not comprehensible.

In addition, Austria's government submitted the plan 14 months too late. As a result, infringement proceedings are currently underway. The final concept was adopted by the Council of Ministers in December.

More coordination, Climate Council
"With the existing climate protection measures, Austria would fall well short of the EU's 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target," the auditors wrote in their report. The measures of the climate protection and finance ministries were scrutinized. They failed to implement half of all 20 previous recommendations, and only partially implemented a further eight. The ministries only complied with two of the recommendations.

In the latest report, the Court of Audit criticized, among other things, the coordination between the responsible federal and state authorities, which should be improved in terms of "overall management responsibility". One suggestion, for example, is a climate council made up of scientists.

With the existing climate protection measures, Austria would fall well short of the EU's 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.

Rechnungshofbericht

Regular monitoring of climate protection measures is also important. Tax law must be further greened and the costs for the possible purchase of emission certificates should be divided between the federal and state governments according to the polluter-pays principle,