On the path to national climate neutrality, the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions is clearly prioritized. All sectors must reduce their emissions as much as possible, whether by phasing out the use of fossil fuels, improving energy efficiency, or switching to sustainable renewable energy sources.
The Carbon Management Strategy includes an analysis of the existing framework conditions, necessary reforms, and an action plan for climate policy addressing hard-to-abate or unavoidable residual emissions in Austria.
The EU has established a voluntary Union framework for the certification of permanent CO2 removals, carbon-sequestering land management (carbon farming), and CO2 storage in products. This aims to create incentives for high-quality CO2 removals and high-quality reductions of soil emissions across all sectors.
CO₂ certificates are a tool for voluntarily offsetting greenhouse gases. However, the market beyond the mandatory EU Emissions Trading System is complex: not every certificate has the same impact. We explain the mechanisms of “offsetting” and show which specific requirements apply to companies that want to pursue credible carbon management.
AIT, AGGM,, the Montan University of Leoben, and Frontier Economics were commissioned to geographically and quantitatively map CO₂ point sources and sinks in and around Austria, plan transport routes, conduct an economic feasibility analysis, compare international activities, and derive concrete recommendations for action.
Under current EU and Austrian law, cross-border CO₂ transport from Austria for geological storage under the seabed in other Contracting Parties of the European Economic Area is permitted. In doing so, Austria fulfills its legal obligations under international treaties and EU law.
Companies are driving the EU’s climate goals forward. Through effective carbon management, they reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, promote the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere, and offset remaining emissions through certified projects.
The project examines the integration of CO₂ capture technologies into municipal solid waste incineration plants, taking into account technical, economic and social factors.