Emissions Decouple from Economic Output

Austria's greenhouse gas emissions fell by over 3 percent in 2024 and will continue to decrease in the medium term. In addition to the measures taken at national and EU level, this is due to changed framework conditions, such as high energy prices, and the expected weak economic growth. Emissions in the areas of space heating, transport and electricity generation are likely to shrink the most, as the increased replacement of gas and oil-fuelled heating systems, the expansion of electromobility and the use of low-emission fuels will curb emissions. In addition, the massive expansion of photovoltaics will reduce the use of natural gas to generate electricity. The expansion of wind power, on the other hand, is lagging behind the targets. Under the assumed conditions, Austria's final energy consumption will fall to 980 petajoules by 2029, which would be just below the level of 2001. Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to amount to 62 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2029 (–12 percent compared to 1990).