The project analyses the inter-relationship between adaptation and mitigation strategies for a study region in southern Austria.
In a first step, we estimate the socio-economic impacts of fostering a shift in agricultural output from food to bioenergy
production. In a second step, we analyse how future climatic conditions (around 2050) will affect the biomass production capacity.
The analysis is, i.a., carried out using a regional computable general equilibrium model. It shows options for mitigation
and adaptation strategies. It turns out that they have to be combined given the specific regional setting in order to minimise
the overall economic costs of climate change. Fostering the use of biomass to substitute fossil energy resources is a viable
mitigation strategy. Adaptation to altered future conditions therefore is a central element of an overall strategy to cope
with climate change.
Forschungsbereich:Klima-, Umwelt- und Ressourcenökonomie
Ina Meyer, Claudia Kettner, Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig (WIFO), Erwin Schmid, Martin Schönhart (INWE-BOKU), Andreas Gobiet, Olivia Koland, Thomas Loibnegger, Christoph Schmid, Thomas Trink (Wegener Center)
Auftraggeber: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften
Studie von: Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
In this research project a scheme of mitigation and adaptation strategies for a case study region in Austria is developed
and quantitatively assessed. In particular, the project aims to analyse the relationship between mitigation and adaptation
strategies in a regional context, i.e., economic impacts from viable climate response strategies are assessed. Concerning
mitigation the focus is on fostering the use of biomass as energy carrier in order to substitute fossil energy resources in
heat production. Adaptation is considered in the agricultural sector by using new crop varieties and technologies in order
to reduce adverse impacts from climate change and thus stabilise agricultural output. The wider Feldbach region in South-Eastern
Styria (at NUTS 3 level, embedded within Styria, NUTS 2 level) is selected as a case study for the present regional analysis.