It’s the first local authority in Austria to take this bold step
European cities’ commitments to achieving climate neutrality even ahead of the overall EU horizon of 2050 is truly inspiring, but as time progresses it occasionally comes to light that the reality proves tougher than well-meaning objectives.
That’s why the Austrian capital, Vienna, has decided to add an extra layer of commitment by making its climate-neutrality goal a legal mandate with the recent adoption of the Vienna Climate Act.
“The City of Vienna is thus the first federal state in Austria to set a legally binding framework for Vienna’s climate goals,” says the city’s Climate Councilor, Jürgen Czernohorszky.
The councillor explained that this step anchors the local model of socially just climate protection with effective measures and public participation. He, however, added that it was not enough in terms of ambition because the most important thing was for the Austrian federal government to promulgate similar legislation. Hopefully, the local act can serve as a blueprint.
Vienna’s 3C model of climate action
The Vienna Climate Act does not start from scratch. It forms a clear and binding framework for a large bundle of instruments and measures that have already been implemented by the city: be it the climate roadmap, its implementation strategies and measures, or the climate budget.
The Act enshrines the goal of climate neutrality and climate-neutral administration by 2040 and builds on the 3 Cs of the City of Vienna: climate protection, climate adaptation and circular economy.
Other important elements of the Vienna Climate Act are public participation and legal protection. For example, participation by the public and the Vienna Environmental Office is mandatory when updating the climate roadmap.
What’s more, Viennese residents and NGOs can also be active participants in this process by submitting an application for the updating of the climate roadmap if 5 years have passed since the last update.
