Climate and Energy Strategies 2023

Update of the analysis on the planned and necessary contributions of the federal provinces to achieve the national targets

The Austrian Energy Agency, on behalf of IG Windkraft and the umbrella organization Renewable Energy Austria, has updated the study "Climate and Energy Strategies of the Federal Provinces" from 2021. One focus of the analysis is the consistency of the climate and energy targets of the federal government and the provinces. Due to Austria's federal structure, national climate and energy targets can only be achieved jointly, as many key parameters for climate protection and the energy transition fall within the competence of the federal states. The authors of the study examined, among other things, the areas of electricity generation from renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the study's analysis are expanded here in part due to new developments, as federal and state goals are constantly changing.

Differences between federal and state targets for renewables and greenhouse gas reductions

In brief, the study results show in all areas - i.e., both renewable electricity generation, final energy demand reduction, general increase in the share of renewable energy, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction - that there are differences between the federal targets and the respective state target totals, and that there is a need for additional target adjustment.

Since the last report two years ago, the overall target adjustment need for renewable expansion and greenhouse gas emissions has decreased significantly due to higher ambition by the states. However, during this period, target adjustment needs for energy consumption reduction and renewable energy share targets have increased due to higher national targets.

Linking of measures and targets often missing, monitoring and evaluation processes needed

Many federal states describe measures without quantifying their likely impact on energy and climate or describing the underlying assumptions for this impact. Thus, in many states, there is no link between the existing or planned measures and the goals set, making it impossible to understand whether the measures are sufficient to achieve the goals. Furthermore, effects of economic growth, population growth, comfort increase, rebound effects, or realization or implementation rates are often not sufficiently considered. Therefore, it is possible that there will be large discrepancies between the expected impact of measures and their actual impact on greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency or the share of renewable energy sources. To avoid such discrepancies, a continuous monitoring, evaluation, and improvement process should be established.

Conclusions for future cooperation between the federal government and the states in achieving energy and climate policy goals

The conclusions and recommendations are essentially the same as in the previous report (AEA, 2021) two years ago. In order to achieve Austria's energy and climate goals, even closer and more coordinated cooperation between the federal and state governments will be necessary in the future. For this purpose, appropriate organizational framework conditions for cooperation should be created in order to achieve congruence between the federal targets and the sum of the Länder targets and, subsequently, to maintain this congruence in the long term.

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Power generation from renewable energy sources

• Agreement on a distribution key for further expansion with regard to the objectives of the Renewable Energy Sources Act package (e.g., via a federal-state agreement pursuant to Art. 15a B-VG): The potential-based approach developed in this study provides a starting point for these negotiations.
• Definition or adaptation of the corresponding expansion targets in the state strategies and description of technology-specific target paths is recommended.
• Appropriate framework conditions should be created in the countries for the expansion of hydropower, wind power, building photovoltaics and ground-mounted photovoltaics (including priority areas, suitability zones and electricity grid capacities).
• An optimization and acceleration of the approval processes for renewable power generation plants is important.

Energy efficiency

• Countries without adopted energy efficiency targets should set such targets.
• Decommissioning energy consumption targets should be reviewed and revised as necessary.
• Decommissioning energy consumption targets and target pathways should be broken down to consumption sectors.
• Final energy consumption targets should take into account economic, population and mobility growth as well as rebound effects.
• Measures to achieve final energy consumption targets should be set and quantified on a sector-specific basis.
• Aggregated measure impact at the country level should be compared with final energy consumption targets.

Total share of renewable energy

• Countries without adopted targets for the share of renewable energy sources should set such targets.
• The target indicator should be reported according to the standardized calculation method (Directive 2009/28/EC).
• Targets, target paths and corresponding measures for decarbonization of district heating should be mapped in country strategies.
• Targets, target paths and corresponding measures for the decarbonization of space heating should be described in the country strategies.
• The individual country strategies should assess or prioritize the use of green gas.

Greenhouse gas emissions

• A commitment by all countries to climate neutrality and alignment to the 2040 target year is important.
• Raising to the -48% GHG target for the non-EH sector (non-emissions trading sector) for 2030 and any federal burden sharing; corresponding alignment/sharing of sector targets and target pathways is essential.
• Measures for GHG target achievement should be set and quantified sector-specifically in the non-EH sectors.
• THG measures should take into account economic, population and mobility growth as well as rebound effects.
• Targets and measures for land use, land use change and forestry should be identified separately in the country strategies.

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link to the study

Client	IG Windkraft Österreich
Project management	Michael Rohrer
Projectteam	Martina Krenn Günter Pauritsch Marcel Schweitzer
Project duration	September 2022 to March 2023