30 Brigitte Wolkinger et al.
Awareness of a need for change is presently strong among policymakers.
However, most political parties fear to discuss and promote climate change
issues, arguing that there would be a threat of deindustrialisation (this has been
repeatedly discussed in the context of the European Emissions Trading Scheme
between major industrial players in Austria and policymakers). Short planning
horizons driven by budgetary constraints are also a limiting factor here. These
factors result in stagnation at the policy level and lack of awareness regarding
the degree of needed reforms. The country’s new government came up with an
updated climate strategy in early 2018 (Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism
and Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, 2018); however, this
lacks a concrete timetable for transition. Climate and sustainable development
are not yet sufficiently recognised as public issues affecting employment, equality, or education, and a corresponding public discourse is missing. Despite these
uncertainties with respect to public action, it can be observed that sections of
Austrian industry take more action than actually required by policymakers. In a
project called ‘H2Future’, the leading Austrian steel company, the leading
power company, and international partners are developing cross- sectoral solutions for a hydrogen- based production (Voestalpine AG, 2017). In a further
H2020 project called Steelanol, the Austrian service provider Primetals Technologies supports a European steel maker in commercially operating one of the
first industrial- scale plant using greenhouse gas emissions from steel production
as feedstock for bio- ethanol production (Steelanol, 2018).
There are possible diverging interests between national and provincial governments due to Austria’s federalist administration, as well as opposing views in
Austria’s ‘social partnership’. This social partnership is an influential block of
constitutional interest groups that are involved in policymaking that is able to
block mitigation measures. Spatial planning policy, for example, which is a local
and regional competence, has caused irreversible and inefficient structures that
Austria has to deal with. These structures cannot be ignored when designing
low- carbon transitions but have to be integrated into a future governance
system. Introducing new technologies, such as electric vehicles, only makes
sense when reforms in spatial planning have been introduced first in order to
avoid redundant transportation. However, political resistance on the local and
regional level for changing current legislation is significant and counteracts
national decarbonisation strategies. Thus, continuing policies that favour urban
sprawl not only increase transportation but also imply massive infrastructural
requirements when large electric vehicle penetration rates are targeted, e.g. by
implementing a charging network.
Elements of the transition, such as for a more decentralised energy supply in
Austria, are slowly emerging and gaining acceptance. However, technological
and socio- economic shifts are also necessary. According to stakeholders’ perceptions, technologies that are able to initiate transitions are already available but
are not implemented on a large scale due to uncertainties, which are described
in detail later on. Currently, alternative lifestyle scenarios with absolute reductions in demand for products and services, and thus energy throughput, are not
Awareness of a need for change is presently strong among policymakers.
However, most political parties fear to discuss and promote climate change
issues, arguing that there would be a threat of deindustrialisation (this has been
repeatedly discussed in the context of the European Emissions Trading Scheme
between major industrial players in Austria and policymakers). Short planning
horizons driven by budgetary constraints are also a limiting factor here. These
factors result in stagnation at the policy level and lack of awareness regarding
the degree of needed reforms. The country’s new government came up with an
updated climate strategy in early 2018 (Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism
and Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, 2018); however, this
lacks a concrete timetable for transition. Climate and sustainable development
are not yet sufficiently recognised as public issues affecting employment, equality, or education, and a corresponding public discourse is missing. Despite these
uncertainties with respect to public action, it can be observed that sections of
Austrian industry take more action than actually required by policymakers. In a
project called ‘H2Future’, the leading Austrian steel company, the leading
power company, and international partners are developing cross- sectoral solutions for a hydrogen- based production (Voestalpine AG, 2017). In a further
H2020 project called Steelanol, the Austrian service provider Primetals Technologies supports a European steel maker in commercially operating one of the
first industrial- scale plant using greenhouse gas emissions from steel production
as feedstock for bio- ethanol production (Steelanol, 2018).
There are possible diverging interests between national and provincial governments due to Austria’s federalist administration, as well as opposing views in
Austria’s ‘social partnership’. This social partnership is an influential block of
constitutional interest groups that are involved in policymaking that is able to
block mitigation measures. Spatial planning policy, for example, which is a local
and regional competence, has caused irreversible and inefficient structures that
Austria has to deal with. These structures cannot be ignored when designing
low- carbon transitions but have to be integrated into a future governance
system. Introducing new technologies, such as electric vehicles, only makes
sense when reforms in spatial planning have been introduced first in order to
avoid redundant transportation. However, political resistance on the local and
regional level for changing current legislation is significant and counteracts
national decarbonisation strategies. Thus, continuing policies that favour urban
sprawl not only increase transportation but also imply massive infrastructural
requirements when large electric vehicle penetration rates are targeted, e.g. by
implementing a charging network.
Elements of the transition, such as for a more decentralised energy supply in
Austria, are slowly emerging and gaining acceptance. However, technological
and socio- economic shifts are also necessary. According to stakeholders’ perceptions, technologies that are able to initiate transitions are already available but
are not implemented on a large scale due to uncertainties, which are described
in detail later on. Currently, alternative lifestyle scenarios with absolute reductions in demand for products and services, and thus energy throughput, are not