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How Austria plans to become carbon neutral by 2040

Austria's first Conservative-Green coalition government plans to become a European 'forerunner' in climate protection. But is it worth the gamble?

Published: 3 January 2020 11:02 CET
How Austria plans to become carbon neutral by 2040
ÖVP leader Sebastian Kurz and the Greens' Werner Kogler. Photo: Alex Halada/AFP

The two disparate parties have agreed to govern in what Greens leader Werner Kogler called a “gamble” after key election gains in September.

Their alliance means People's Party (ÖVP) leader Sebastian Kurz, 33, returns as chancellor after his previous coalition with the far-right broke apart last year owing to a corruption scandal.

It marks the first time the Greens enter government on a national level though the ÖVP holds on to controversial anti-immigration measures that have deeply divided Austrians.

“It's worth the gamble” to work with the conservatives, Kogler told reporters when presenting the government programme.

The carbon neutrality goal – meaning greenhouse gas emissions are balanced with measures that absorb or eliminate carbon – is ahead of Europe's 2050 ambition.

But the 300-page government programme also highlights security needs, the conservatives' main campaign platform.

“Migration will stay at the heart of my politics,” said Kurz, who has styled himself as a tough anti-immigration fighter, reiterating his view that the coalition's parties had “succeeded in uniting the best of both worlds”.

'Daring experiment'

European Council President Charles Michel said 2020 began with “great news from Austria”.

He tweeted: “25 years after its accession, Austria renews its commitment to the European project and is set to become a leader in the fight against climate change.”

Observers say Germany and other nations could follow suit for the unlikely marriage of conservatives and ecologists as politicans seek to cater to voters' increasingly populist sentiments as well as worries about climate change.

But many have also warned that the alliance stands on thin ice as particularly the Greens have made key compromises.

A column in the left-leaning Standard on Thursday described the coalition as a “daring experiment” and a “political adventure”. Tabloid Österreich billed the ÖVP as “powerful as never before”.

Kurz announced his party would head 10 ministries, including the interior, foreign, defence and finance.

The Greens will have charge of an enlarged environment ministry, as well as hold the justice, social affairs and sports and culture portfolios with Kogler, 58, nominated as Kurz's vice-chancellor.

In September polls, the Greens gained 13.9 percent of the vote in their best-ever result as the environment replaced immigration as top concern.

The ÖVP got 37.5 percent as disappointed voters of the scandal-tainted far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) flocked to Kurz's party.

It will now be up to the Greens' almost 280 delegates to give the final go-ahead to the agreement at a party congress on Saturday. The new government is then expected to be sworn in next week.

'50-50 survival chance'

Among a raft of proposals, the programme spells out that all energy should come from renewable resources by 2030 and for more to be invested in public transport.

Though renewable energies already account for about a third of Austria's consumption – almost double the EU average – the nation of 8.8 million people has been among few EU members that have seen their greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase between 1990 and 2017.

Regarding immigration and security, the coalition wants to introduce preventive detention and extend the headscarf ban for school girls – clauses which will be hard to swallow for some Greens.

Political analyst Johannes huber told AFP that the alliance had a “50-50 chance” of survival, depending on which topics came up in the next few years.

Standard daily columnist Eric Frey also wrote that Kurz and Kogler would need a “skillfulness as few politicians before them” should tricky issues arise, such as a surge in the number of asylum seekers, worsening climate change or an economic downturn.

Opposition leaders have already criticized the new coalition, with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) saying the Greens have failed to make a mark, while FPÖ leader Norbert Hofer said the programme contained “mainly hot air”.

But both the SPÖ and the FPÖ are weakened, with the Social Democrats suffering their worst-ever results in the September polls and the far-right tumbling after the Ibiza-gate graft scandal brought down their then-leader and vice-chancellor in May, causing the government to collapse.

For members

MIGRANT CRISIS

How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

The number of asylum applications has dropped in Austria, but changes in the profile of those arriving are creating new demands and new policies.

Published: 22 April 2024 16:05 CEST
How a change in the profile of asylum seekers is impacting Austria

Asylum policy is a controversial topic in Austria, especially in an election year. The far-right has been pushing its anti-immigration agenda to gather support ahead of federal elections later this year.

While the sheer number of refugees can shape an election, differences in who those refugees are and where they come from also create challenges and demands for government action.

The profile of those seeking asylum in Austria has changed compared to recent years.

In the first quarter of 2024, almost a third of asylum applications came from children between the ages of zero and seven, as Austrian media has reported.

Around 53 percent of applicants are minors, and the proportion of women seeking asylum has also risen significantly. However, the overall number of asylum applications during the period fell by 32 percent compared to the same period the year before. 

Whereas 2023 most asylum applications in Austria were from males (only around 24 percent of applications were submitted by women), the country is now experiencing the “family reunification” phenomenon. In other words the wifes and children are following to seek protection.

Asylum applicants are still mostly from Syria and Afghanistan – two nationalities with a high chance of obtaining protection in Austria. Only 30 percent of applications from Syrians were rejected, whereas for Afghans 39 percent were refused.

READ ALSO: Border centres and ‘safe’ states: The EU’s major asylum changes explained

What does the change in profile mean for Austria?

One immediate consequence of the influx of children has already been seen in Vienna, the destination of most refugees: the school system is overwhelmed with the new arrivals, as several Austrian newspapers have reported in the last few weeks.

“This is putting such a strain on the system that high-quality teaching is hardly possible any more,” Thomas Krebs, a union representative, told Kurier. According to the report, around 300 children will arrive in Vienna every month, resulting in a need for 140 classes by the end of the school year. 

The Austrian capital was already overwhelmed by a shortage of teachers and an overflow of schoolchildren—particularly since the war in Ukraine, when 4,000 children were integrated into Vienna’s schools from February 2022.

The kids coming from Syria also need more support than merely German classes: “The Syrian children who come to us from refugee camps are a particular challenge for the system. Many are traumatised and often not even literate in their own language,” Krebs said.

He added that children need to spend more time in kindergarten—to learn “the basics, not just the language.” The education expert also believes it’s necessary to invest more in extracurricular activities, where young people can learn German, acquire behavioural skills that are important for school, and learn how to spend their free time meaningfully.

READ ALSO: What’s the reason behind the drop in Austrian asylum seeker claims?

What is Vienna doing?

Vienna’s Department of Education points out that new teachers are being recruited. In the current academic year, 2,400 teachers have been hired, Kurier reported.

Director of Education Heinrich Himmer said: “We support pupils and face the challenges together so that learning and living together work well. I would like to thank everyone who works so hard in Vienna’s schools. However, the responsibility for integration is an all-Austrian one, where solutions exist at the federal level.”

How does family reunification work?

There is a special process for granting family reunification rights for family members of refugees in Austria. 

According to information from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, if a foreigner has been granted asylum status in Austria, family members can apply for an entry permit at an Austrian representation authority abroad within three months of this status being granted.

If this is granted, they can travel to Austria to apply for asylum in the family procedure and receive the same protection status as the reference person. If the application is only submitted after three months, they must also provide proof of adequate accommodation, health insurance, and income.

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