Ecologize climate counterproductive subsidies

A series of climate-damaging subsidies are to be abolished or ecologized.

Climate-damaging subsidies cost the state up to 5.7 billion euros annually and contribute to the increase in CO₂ emissions. Without corresponding reforms, Austria could miss the EU climate targets for 2030, which could lead to penalties of 4.7 billion euros.

Over 60 percent of these subsidies are allocated to the transport sector, whose emissions have been continuously increasing since 1990. The National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) provides for the reduction of these subsidies. According to the Ministry of Finance, this could save two million tons of CO₂ equivalents annually. However, concrete measures for implementation are still lacking.

Regierungsprogramm 2025-29 auto-translated using AI

Climate Protection

• Gradual ecologization of climate-damaging subsidies. This will be socially balanced, location-appropriate, and inflation-damping.

Forderungen des Klimarats der Bürger:innen 2022 auto-translated using AI

Abolish subsidies for fossil energy

All - including hidden and indirect - subsidies for fossil energy (diesel privilege, commuter flat rate, company cars, promotion of gas heaters, tax exemptions for companies on taxes on fossil energy, etc.) must be gradually withdrawn to avoid social hardship cases, and completely abolished after five years.

• • Immediate abolition: Promotion of gas, oil in new buildings
  • Ecologize (within three years): Commuter flat rate
  • Long-term abolition (within five years): Tax exemptions for companies

This phased plan should be regulated uniformly nationwide. The financial resources obtained from this will be dedicated to the further expansion of renewable energy sources.