Greenhouse Gases

Since the beginning of industrialisation in the mid-18th century mankind has influenced the climate globally by emitting greenhouse gases (GHG) like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide as well as various fluorinated and chlorinated gases.

The average surface temperature of the earth has risen by about 0.6-0.7°C in the past 100 years and, according to the IPCC, will rise by another 1.4-5.8°C in the next 100 years, depending on the emission scenario.

Climate Change in Austria

The effects of global warming in Austria are manifold because the Alps as well as the region along the Danube have a very high vulnerability to climate change, which is reflected in an overall change of the temperature in the Alps of +1.8°C in the past 150 years. This is significantly higher than the global average.

Reduction Target

Under the terms of the Kyoto-Protocol, the industrialised world - known as Annex 1 countries - pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5% below 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012. Austria and the European Union is also a Party to the Convention as well as to the Kyoto-Protocol and agreed on a reduction target of 8% below 1990 levels during the five-year commitment period from 2008 to 2012. The EU and its Member States decided to achieve this goal jointly, for Austria an emission target of minus 13% was set.

The greenhouse gases covered by the UNFCCC are:

• carbon dioxide (CO₂),
• methane (CH₄),
• nitrous oxide (N₂O) as well as 
• hydrogenated fluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorated halocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)

Emissions in 2007 were 19.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents above the annual mean value of the Kyoto target stipulated for 2008–2012. When considering emission trading as well as Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism (JI/CDM) projects and the afforestation/deforestation balance, the deviation from the target is around 8.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.