Key Indicators of Climate Change and Energy Use and Approaches to Measure the Biological Diversity

WIFO continues, in the present paper, its report on key indicators of climate change and energy use in Austria with data for the year 2009. The indicators thus mirror the impact of the economic crisis 2008-09 on greenhouse gas emissions, and the use and consumption of energy. The climate-relevant greenhouse gas emissions decreased significantly by 7.9 percent in 2009. With the GDP shrinking by 3.9 percent, the total gross domestic consumption of coal, mineral oil, natural gas, and renewable energy sources in 2009 declined by 5 percent as compared to the preceding year; at the same time, the use of renewable energy sources increased by 2.9 percent. In Austria, mainly the production of the energy intensive industry and the freight transport were affected by the international financial and economic crisis. Against the backdrop of the "International Year of Biodiversity 2010" as proclaimed by the United Nations, the subject "biological diversity" and approaches to measure biodiversity represent the special focus of the present paper.