Global warming is affecting Austrian temperatures, weather, ecosystems and biodiversity. Since 1950 temperatures have risen by 1.8 °C, and in the past 150 years glaciers have melted, losing a significant amount of their volume.14. UMWELTKONTROLLBERICHT (pdf, 336 p., June 2025) Changed precipitation patterns, increased temperatures, reduced snowfall, melting glaciers and more frequent extreme weather phenomenons, such as droughts, are expected effects from climate change. Ecosystems and biodiversity in Austria are facing changes due to increasing temperatures and the spread of thermophile species, heat and drought stress on animals and plants, an increase in alien and invasive species and an increase in pathogenic organisms and the spread of disease.

The Austrian economy is expected to be significantly affected by the effects of global warming, leading to costs of 4.2 to 5.2 billion Euros per year by the middle of the century. More frequent and intense weather events cause increasing costs for reconstruction and maintenance of infrastructure, fewer days with snow lead to a decline of overnight tourists in the winter, and a higher number of heat related health issues challenge the Austrian healthcare system.

To deal with the effects of global warming, mitigation efforts are being implemented from various directions. Politicians are planning to achieve climate neutrality by 2040 at the latest, as stated in the coalition agreement. As part of the European Union, Austria has to pursue efforts to reach the emission goals of the European Green Deal. Activists try to speed mitigation efforts up using petitions, campaigns and protests.

Greenhouse gas emissions According to Austria's national energy and climate strategy to reach the demands of the Paris Agreement, Austria has planned a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 36% by 2030 in relation to 2005 levels. As part of the European Union, Austria is obliged to contribute to the EU's climate targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% until 2030 in comparison to 1990 levels, determined in the European Green Deal. In order to reach this goal, it has been proposed that Austria should increase its target to cut down emissions by 48% by 2030. Additionally, the Nehammer government (2021-2025) planned to bring Austria to carbon neutrality by 2040.

Austria has historically emitted 5.51 billion tons of CO2 as a result of burning of fossil fuels and cement production, contributing to a share of 0.32% of cumulative global CO2 emissions.

The following table shows Austria's greenhouse gas emissions in megatons of equivalents in past years, compared to the total EU27 and world emissions. YearAustria (Mt CO2eq)EU27 (Mt CO2eq)World (Mt CO2eq)199081.54 95332 657200085.54 55536 420201091.24 29846 372201585.03 95049 415201885.43 92551 200 The table below shows the greenhouse gas emissions of Austria in tons of CO2 equivalents by capita in past years compared to the per capita emissions of the EU27 and the world. YearAustria (t CO2eq/capita)EU27 (t CO2eq/capita)World (t CO2eq/capita)199010.5611.796.13200010.6010.635.93201010.849.766.6720159.798.946.7020189.768.866.71

Energy consumption

As of 2020, increased energy demand in transportation and construction have contributed to emission growth in the years before. 28% of Austria's energy came from renewables, making Austria a top player in the field, with biofuels and hydropower being the most important renewable energy sources in Austria. Nuclear energy is not present in Austria, due to it being banned in the Austrian Constitution. In accordance with its goal to be carbon neutral in 2040, Austria is working to be completely dependent on renewable energy sources by 2030 – in 2018 this share had already been 77%. Austria closed its last coal power plant in 2020 and targets ending coal and oil-fired heating by 2035.

Measures contained in Austria's 'National Energy and Climate Plan' to achieve the energy targets include an end of oil and coal heating in buildings, a prohibition of heating new buildings with natural gas, a large increase in the target for photovoltaic installations and extending carbon pricing to more sectors.

Transportation Making up 30% of emissions in 2019, the transportation sector then was Austria's largest contributing sector to global warming.Jensen, Liselotte; Carvalho Fachada, João (2021). Climate action in Austria: Latest state of play. European Parliamentary Research Service. Since 1990, emissions in the transportation sector have increased by 52% and there has been no significant reduction in CO2 emission since 2005. The largest amount of emissions is connected to road traffic and specifically passenger cars.

With October 26, 2021, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology introduced the so-called climate ticket. Purchasing this ticket allows using all means of public transport in the whole country for one year.

Largest emitters Listed below is an overview of the ten largest emitters of CO2 equivalents registered in Austria in the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

+Large emitters in AustriaEmitterVerified emissions (tonnes of CO2e)Registered activityYearVoestalpine Stahl LinzProduction of pig iron or steel2018Hüttenwerk DonawitzProduction of pig iron or steel2018Raffinerie SchwechatRefining of mineral oil2018Austrian Airlines AGAirline2018Kraftwerk SimmeringCombustion of fuels2018Fernheizkraftwerk MellachCombustion of fuels2018Borealis Agrolinz MelamineProduction of ammonia2018Dürnrohr Power StationCombustion of fuels2018Kraftwerk DonaustadtCombustion of fuels2018Lafarge PerlmooserProduction of cement clinker2018

Impacts on the natural environment

Temperature changes

Temperatures in Austria increased by 1.8 °C between years 1951–2021, from a mean temperature of 8.7 °C after 1951 and about 10.5 °C before 2021. A mean increase of 0.12-0.19 °C per decade was seen between 1909 and 2008.

Temperatures in Austria have risen 2 to 3 times faster than in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In the 20th century, temperatures rose by 1.8 °C, with temperature rises happening on all levels of elevation. Fourteen of the 20 hottest years since the beginning of temperature records in 1786 and 2019 were in the 21st century. Temperatures are rising faster in Austria compared to other parts of the world, due to Austria being a landlocked country, and possibly the northwards movement of the subtropical high. The North Atlantic Oscillation NOA has been linked to the increased temperatures in the Alps.

Climate models are pointing towards a further increase in temperature in Austria. At the end of the 21st century, it is possible that alpine temperatures could increase by 4-6 °C in winter and 3-5 °C in summer.

The mid temperature in January and July is -0.6 °C and 20.7 °C in Vienna, the capital of Austria. BBC News published a four case scenario of the temperature increase in different cities around the world. The best-case scenario for Vienna implicate an increase with 3.1 °C in January and 2.4 °C in July, the medium-low scenario 4.3 °C and 3.8 °C, the medium-high scenario 4.7 °C and 4.6 °C, and the worst-case scenario implicates an increase with 7.0 °C and 7.2 °C by the year 2100, compared to 1900. The scenarios include assumptions on how much greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions after a peak early in the century would be optimal for Austria, however unchecked emissions would be suboptimal.

Precipitation

Between 1990 and 2050, modelling has shown an 8% increase in precipitation in the northern Alps and 11% in the southern Alps, and summer precipitation is expected to decrease by 17% in the northern Alps and by 19% in the southern Alps.

An increase in rainfall during winter would mean intense snowfall in shorter periods of time and thus more avalanches.

Snow Snowfall is expected to decrease, even with projected increases in winter precipitations, due to higher mean temperatures. The certainty of snow will be reduced.

The snow cover season in the European Alps, including snow water equivalent (SWE) and the duration of the snow cover, was assessed from regional climate model RCM experiments under the IPCC SRES A1B emission scenario. The assessment showed a decrease in SWE with 40-80% below 1500 m by mid century, compared to control years 1971–2000. Higher elevations are expected to be less affected than lower elevations. At 2000 – 2500 m SWE are expected to decrease by 10-60% by mid-century and by 30-80% at the end of the century.

The annual snow cover season is expected to be shorter. Less snow covers will mean less reflection of sunlight and thus further heating of earth, contributing to a negative feedback-loop.

Water resources

Bodies of water cover 43,000 hectares in Austria. There are approximately 6000 naturally developed stagnant bodies of water, of which 59% had a very good status, and 33% a good status, in 2014. Austria has running waters with a total length of around 31,000 km. In 2019 the share of rivers to be in a very good or good ecological status was assessed to be under 40%. 136 bodies of groundwater can be found in Austria, and in 2014 three of them were assessed to be in a bad chemical status, due to high nitrate concentrations.

The total annual water demand is approximately 3% of available water resources, corresponding to 2.6 billion m3.

Glaciers

Austria has almost 900 glaciers, being located in the area of the highest mountains, called the Central Alps. Like the global retreat of glaciers since 1850, glaciers in the Eastern Alps have lost 52% of their area and more than 60% of their mass within the last 150 years. The Dachstein glacier has been retreating since 1981 and has lost 44 million m3 until 2019. The glaciers are expected to reduce to less than 20% of their current mass by the end of the century, due to increasing temperatures.

Ecosystems Austria has a diverse landscape, climate and biodiversity. The Pannonian Basin and Continental biogeographic regions converge. 32% of the Alpine Arc is located in Austria, the largest portion that any country holds.

The Alps, the forelands, basins, as well as the granite and gneiss highlands of the Bohemian Massif, are the major landscape divisions. Ecosystems and biodiversity are assessed to be highly vulnerable to future climate change impacts. There are some regional differences in what to expect from changes like the increased temperatures and new precipitation patterns. The alpine regions with a high share of endemic species are especially vulnerable to expected changes.

Higher temperatures will lead to plant transpiration beginning earlier and end later, meaning a lengthening of the growing season. Droughts will occur more and plants will be exposed to heat stress both due to droughts (decrease in rainfall during summer) and higher mean temperatures.

Alpine and mountain ecosystems The Alps cover 60% of Austria's territory, and is the landscape contributing most to biodiversity.

The alpine and Montane ecosystems are vulnerable to climate changes, however the conservation status is generally better in the Alpine region than in the continental region. An improvement in the conservation status of species and habitats has been seen, mainly due to conservations projects concerning invasive species.

Forests Austria has 4 million hectares of forest, covering almost 50% of the national territory. The forests consist of circa 80% timber production forests and the rest, circa 20%, are protection forests. Forest areas have increased, mainly in the Alps, over the past decades. Reforestation programmes are assessed to cause loss of important ecological habitats. 53 of 93 forest biotope types are red listed and assessed to be endangered. The lowland forests are more endangered than forest areas in higher elevations.