Climate Change and Energy Economics: Key Indicators and Approaches to Measuring Biodiversity

WIFO proceeds to put forward a series of key indicators on the development of greenhouse gas emissions, energy use und energy consumption employing the latest available data of 2009. Thus, indicators reflect the impact of the 2008-09 international economic and financial crisis. Thereafter, in 2009 greenhouse gas emissions decreased by a remarkable 7.9 percent with respect to the previous year. Gross domestic consumption of energy receded by 5 percent while renewable energy consumption grew by 2.9 percent. In contrast, real GDP dropped by 3.9 percent. In Austria, the energy-intense industrial production and freight traffic have been most affected by the economic crisis. Given the UN international year of biodiversity in 2010, this edition of indicators is complemented by a focal point on quantifying biodiversity.