Today the International Energy Agency announced that energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history: 80% of projected 2020 emissions from the power sector are already locked in. Such increase stresses the necessity for cities to take the lead to reduce CO2 emissions at local level, by designing innovative strategies. Let’s have a look at Vienna’s good example!
The city of Vienna, partner in the URBACT Redis and OPENCities projects, has set an ambitious climate goal: the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per capita of 21% compared to 1990 by the year 2020. This shall be achieved through the implementation of various measures imbedded in the so-called KliP II, the Vienna Climate Protection Program 2010–2020.
KliP II continues the success story of the first Vienna Climate Protection Program: As a result, more than 3.1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions have been saved over the past 10 years. From 1990 to 2006 a reduction of 6% could be reached. This was even equivalent to energy saving goals for 2010! Therefore in 2006 numerous working groups consisting of the city administration, municipal enterprises and funds, as well as the Vienna Ombuds-Office for environmental protection came together to work out the follow-up of KliP I.
To reach the climate goal the City of Vienna focuses in the current Climate Protection Program on five fields of actions, also regarding urban planning: Energy production; Use of energy; Mobility and city structur; Procurement, waste management, agriculture and forestry, nature conservation; Public relations.
These five fields of action consist of 37 sets of measures with a total of 385 individual measures. These precise measures have also precise targets.
Energy production
Primarily supply related projects that shall reduce CO2 emissions produced by power generation and district heating as well as cooling are the main topics in this field. One good measure within this field of action is the energy concept of the city of Vienna. The energy concept helps on the one hand to assure the supply of energy and on the other hand environment related issues such as renewable energies play a crucial role.
Use of energy
The focus in this field is to encourage energy consumers to use energy in the most efficient way, particularly with regard to measures taken for energy efficiency in buildings. In addition, there are also measures for instance such as public street lighting.
Mobility and city structure
The field of action ‘mobility and city structure’ aims to reduce, both directly and indirectly, greenhouse gas emissions generated by transport. To avoid transport the city aims to give a framework for ‘a city of short distances’ and to foster an urban development along public transport systems.
With a mixture of use an attractive offer of retail facilities, workings space and housing can decrease the traffic and ameliorate on the same way the quality of live. Other measures aims promote environmentally friendly modes of transportation like bicycling, walking, public transport, and car sharing.
Procurement, waste management, agriculture and forestry, nature conservation
Alongside energy and transport, public procurement and waste management are important topics for climate protection. Accordingly, the measures in this field of action purpose to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by procurement operations of the City of Vienna, as well as by waste management operations for the entire city. This also includes measures to tackle greenhouse gas emissions in the fields of agriculture, forestry and nature protection.
Public relations
To change the behaviour of the population in a more environmental way it needs to inform about the possibilities that every citizen have to reduce CO2 gas emissions.
The example of the City of Vienna shows that cities can tackle the challenges CO2 reduction on a local level. With energy related measures imbedded in integrated urban development concepts cities face the climate change.
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URBACT NDP for Austria
OEROK
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Mr ALLY MRISHO
Youth Coordinetot