An Assessment of the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions after the Economic Downturn

The Austrian economy is far from being climate neutral. In 2019, the Austrian greenhouse gas emission was 80.4 million tonnes CO2 equivalents. The goal is to reduce this value to zero within 20 years. In 2040, no more greenhouse gases are to be emitted than can be stored either naturally or in technical facilities. The measures to limit the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a sharp decline in production and consumption in almost all countries. This also has an impact on emissions. Using the latest WIFO forecast on the development of the Austrian economy, we estimate that greenhouse gas emissions are likely to decrease by 9.9 percent in 2020. Conclusions can be drawn from this with regard to the interim emission targets set for 2020.