NPR: "This country is slowing climate action. Its capital city is stepping up"
by Julia Simon
Vienna is home to one in five Austrians, and its climate action is increasingly important for the country's climate leadership, says Gernot Wagner, Columbia University climate economist and an advisor for Vienna's Mayoral Advisory council. Austria's newly elected federal government is deprioritizing climate action, Wagner says. In the new coalition government, the ecological Green Party is out, and conservatives, who are less interested in climate action, have gained power. "At the federal level things are taking a step back, climate is taking a back seat," he says.
Meanwhile Vienna is forging ahead, and its experience as a climate leader holds lessons and inspiration for cities around the world.
Vienna leads as Austria slows down
Vienna is leading on climate action at a time when the new Austrian federal government is losing momentum, Wagner says. In the previous Austrian government, the Green party was in charge of a large ministry with climate, energy, and transport grouped together so it could be more effective. "This Austrian climate super-ministry, if you will," Wagner says.
In Austria's new coalition government, which came into office in March, the Green party is out of power. Climate, energy and transport are now split apart, and climate and energy are relegated to conservative-led ministries where many climate researchers fear they won't get enough attention.
Austria still has a goal of reaching "climate neutrality" by 2040, like Vienna. For Austria, that means both cutting fossil fuel use and trying to store carbon dioxide underground. It's unclear if the Austrian federal government will reach the goal, Wagner says. But Vienna is a different story, says Karl Steininger, professor of climate economics at the University of Graz.
"Vienna said, if [federal politicians] don't go ahead," Steininger says, "We'll go ahead. And set an example that others can follow."
Ready for when pendulum swings again
Researchers say city governments hold key tools to help their communities adapt to climate change's growing risks.
Vienna is seeing increased flooding because of climate change, including a 1,000 year flood event in September. Abrahamczik says increased flood risk is why the city is building "sponge cities". That's when cities incorporate things like sand, ponds and green spaces in urban design to soak up excess water and better manage flooding. Because Vienna is seeing more deadly heatwaves, it's planting trees for shade, and expanding district cooling, a climate-friendly alternative to air conditioning.
Wagner says while Austria's federal government right now isn't as active on climate change, he hopes "the pendulum will swing back".
In the meantime, Abrahamczik says Vienna isn't waiting around. " Waiting for others is something we cannot afford in the time of climate crisis," she says. "We are done waiting."
