AUSTRIA eco-innovation 2015 · Eco-IS demonstrates the eco-innovation performance of a country...
Transcript of AUSTRIA eco-innovation 2015 · Eco-IS demonstrates the eco-innovation performance of a country...
Eco-innovationinAustria
EIOCountryProfile
2014-2015
Eco-InnovationObservatory
TheEco-InnovationObservatoryfunctionsasaplatformforthestructuredcollectionandanalysis
ofanextensiverangeofeco-innovationinformation,gatheredfromacrosstheEuropeanUnionandkeyeconomic regionsaround theglobe,providingamuch-needed integrated informationsourceoneco-innovationforcompaniesandinnovationserviceproviders,aswellasprovidingasoliddecision-makingbasisforpolicydevelopment.
TheObservatoryapproacheseco-innovationasapersuasivephenomenonpresentinalleconomicsectorsandthereforerelevantforalltypesofinnovation,definingeco-innovationas:
“Eco-innovation isany innovationthatreducestheuseofnaturalresourcesanddecreasesthereleaseofharmfulsubstancesacrossthewholelife-cycle”.
Tofindoutmore,visitwww.eco-innovation.euandec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap
Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do notnecessarilyreflectthepositionoftheEuropeanCommission.
Eco-InnovationObservatoryCountryProfile2014-2015:Austria
Author:StefanGiljum
Coordinatoroftheworkpackage:TechnopolisGroupBelgium
Acknowledgments
Thedocumenthasbeenpreparedwiththekindsupportofthefollowingexperts:- Mrs.BirgitHorvath,FederalMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWater
Management- Mrs.CarolineVogl-Lang,FederalMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,Environmentand
WaterManagement- Mr.HaraldGrill,AustrianChamberofCommerce(WKÖ)
AnotetoReaders
Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do notnecessarilyreflectthepositionoftheEuropeanUnion.Anumberofcompaniesarepresentedasillustrativeexamplesofeco-innovationinthisreport.TheEIOdoesnotendorsethesecompaniesandisnotanexhaustivesourceofinformationoninnovationatthecompanylevel.
This brief is available for downloaded fromhttps://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/austria
Tableofcontents
Summary.......................................................................................................................1
Introduction...................................................................................................................2
1 |Eco-innovationperformance........................................................................3
2 |Selectedcirculareconomyandeco-innovationareasandnewtrends..........5
3 |Barriersanddriversforcirculareconomyandeco-innovationinAustria......7
4 |Policylandscape:towardscirculareconomyinAustria.................................9
ANNEX:Policymeasuresaddressingcirculareconomyandeco-innovationsinAustria..14
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Summary
Austriaisasmallandopeneconomywithastrongexportorientation.EnvironmentaltechnologysectorsareaparticularlydynamicpartoftheAustrianeconomyandoneofthedriversofexport-oriented growth, performing significantly stronger compared to the overall economy since thefinancialcrisisin2008.Austriahasahighenvironmentalperformanceinmanyareas,suchaswaterquality, waste management, organic farming and nature protection. At the same time it facesenvironmentalpolicychallenges,mostimportantly,regardingclimatepolicyandairpollution.
Austriancompanieshaveestablishedaninternationallyleadingpositioninseveralgreentechnologymarkets. Clean energy technologies, most importantly, heat generation through thermal solarsystemsandheatpumps,heatstoragesystemsandsmartelectricitygrids,butalsotechnologiesfortheenergeticuseofbiomassaredriversofeco-innovationinAustria.Austriaalsocontinuestobeina leading position inecological construction in general and in the technology of passive housebuildinginparticular.Smartandintermodal(electrical)mobilitymanagementisanotherupcomingeco-innovationarea.WithitslongtraditionandhighestrecyclingratesintheEU,AustrianrecyclingindustriesarewellpositionedtoplayakeyroleinthefuturetransformationofAustriatowardsacirculareconomy.
Apart fromthewell-established, fast-growingand innovativeenvironmental technologiessector,the main drivers of eco-innovation in Austria are the high environmental standards, well-functioning environmental protection laws and various environment-related financial incentivesofferedbythestate.Asthemainbarrierstoeco-innovationactivities,issuessuchasthesmall-scale,SME-dominatedsupplierstructureoftheenvironmentaltechnologiesindustrymustbeemphasised,whichstructurallylimitsthefinancialandhumanresourcesthatcanbeinvestedintoresearchanddevelopment (R&D)activities.Otherbarriersare the low interconnectednessofplayers, suchascompanies and regional clusters, as well as the weak domestic market for environmentaltechnologies.
Withatotalscoreof108intheoverallEco-InnovationScoreboard(Eco-IS)2015,Austriarankedeighth in the list of EU countries, locatedbetween France and Spain and slightly above the EUaverage.Intwoofthefivecomponents(eco-innovationinputsandresource-efficiencyoutcomes),Austria’sperformance isveryclose to theEuropeanaverageperformance,whileperformance isaboveEUaverage regardingeco-innovationactivitiesandoutputs,andbelowEUaverage in thecomponentofsocio-economicoutcomes.
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Introduction
Austria is a small andopeneconomywitha strongexportorientation. Exportsofproducts andservices contributed more than 53% of Austria’s GDP in 2014, up from 35% in 1995. Austria’seconomy is characterised by a large service sector – consisting mainly of trade and transportservices,healthcare,socialservicesandtourism–whichaccountedformorethan70%ofGDPin2014.Austriaalsohasasoundindustrialsector,withmachineryandvehicles,metals,chemicals,andwoodandpaperproductsasmainindustries,andasmall,buthighlydevelopedagriculturalsector.
Environmentalgoodsandservices,ofwhichenvironmentaltechnologiesformonecorepart,areaparticularlydynamicareaoftheAustrianeconomy.In2014,theenvironmentalsectorgenerated€35.4billion turnoverandemployed182,000people.Trends in theenvironmental sectorclearlypointupwardinrecentyears.While intheoverallAustrianeconomy,employmentgrewby1.9%between2008and2014,theincreasewas8.4%intheenvironmentalsector.Growthinturnover(14%)wasslightlyhigherthantheoverallgrowthofGDP(12.8%)(StatistikAustria,2016).Austrianenvironmental technology sectors are highly export-oriented, with an average export share ofaround 65%. The environmental technology sectors are also significantlymore knowledge- andinnovation-intensive compared to the average Austrianmanufacturing industries, making theseindustriesadriverofAustrianeconomicgrowth(WIFO,2013).
Austria has a high environmental performance in many areas, such as water quality, wastemanagement, organic farming and nature protection (OECD, 2013). In a recent “SustainabilityContest2015”ofEUcountries,performedbytheAustrianChamberofCommerce(WKÖ)inwhich58 environmental indicators – mainly from EUROSTAT – were considered, Austria ranked thirdamongallEUcountries,behindSwedenandDenmark(WKÖ,2015).ItisincreasinglyrecognisedthatbeingabletoprovideahealthyenvironmentisbecominganimportantfactorforforeigninvestorsinAustria.
Emissionsofgreenhousegaseshavebeenreducedsignificantlyinthepastfewyears,partlyduetofavourableweatherconditions,inparticularmildwinters.Emissionsin2014werebelow1990levels.However, in order to achieve the2020 targets, the implementationof further energy efficiencymeasuresandfurtherpromotionoftheuseofrenewableenergysourceswillbeakeyrequirement.Austriaalsofacesotherimportantenvironmentalpolicychallenges.Withregardtoairpollution,forexample,emissionsofparticulatematterandnitrogenoxides–particularlythroughtransport–areinmanyareasabovethelevelsallowedunderEuropeanUnionregulations.Inaddition,manyspecies and several habitats are in a precarious situation, as areas for human settlement andtransportareascontinuetoexpand(UBA,2013).
ThestructureoftheAustrianbusinesssectorcreatesparticularchallengesforhighengagementineco-innovation and circular economy activities: 99.7% of all Austrian companies are small andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A lack of financial and personnel resources to invest in eco-innovation-related research and development (R&D) is generally regarded as the number onebarrier (see Section 3 below). Barriers to eco-innovation also exist through low integration ofvariousinitiativesandpolicymeasuresimplementedacrossanumberofgovernmentalinstitutionsinto a coordinated eco-innovation policy plan. So far, only a small number of policy activitiesexplicitlyaddresscirculareconomyissues.
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1 |Eco-innovationperformance
Theanalysis inthissection isbasedontheEU-28Eco-innovationscoreboard(Eco-IS) fortheyear2015. ViaitscompositeEco-innovationindex,producedbytheEco-InnovationObservatory(EIO),Eco-ISdemonstratestheeco-innovationperformanceofacountrycomparedwiththeEUaverageandwiththeEUtopperformers.Eco-ISisbasedon16indicators,aggregatedintofivecomponents:eco-innovationinputs,activitiesandoutputs,environmentalandsocio-economicoutcomes.
In the Eco-Innovation Scoreboard (Eco-IS) for the year 2015, produced by the Eco-InnovationObservatory(EIO),AustriarankedeighthamongallEU-28countries,withascoreof108,andwaslocatedbetweenFranceandSpain(seeFigure1).ComparedwiththeEco-ISusedinthelastcountryprofilefrom2013,Austriathusimproveditsrankingbyoneplace.
Figure1:EU-28Eco-InnovationScoreboard2015,compositeindex
Source:EIO,2016
Figure2belowzoomsintotheaggregatedscoreboardindexandillustratesAustria’sperformanceinthefivescoreboardcomponentscomparedtotheEUaverage.Asimilarperformancepatternasobservedinpreviousversionsofthescoreboardcanbeobserved.Intwoofthefivecomponents(eco-innovation inputsand resource-efficiencyoutcomes),Austria’sperformance isveryclose tothe European average performance, while performance is above EU average regarding eco-innovation activities and outputs, and below EU average in the component of socio-economicoutcomes.
Thecomponentofeco-innovation inputs(totalAustrianscoreof98)consistsofthree indicators.Despitetheimplementationofvariousresearchprogrammes(seeSection4below),with0.03%ofGDP,overallgovernmentR&DoutlaysintheareaofenvironmentandenergywasbelowtheEUaverage in Austria in 2014 and less than half compared to the leading countries Finland andGermany,with0.1and0.07%respectively.TotalR&DpersonnelandresearchersishigherthanEU
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average, comprising 1.63% of Austrian employees in 2014. Total value of green early-stageinvestmentswasaround€61percapitaintheperiodof2013-2015,resultinginascoreof74.
Withascoreof126,Austria’saggregatedperformanceinthecomponentofeco-innovationactivitieswasabovetheEUaverage.ThetwoindicatorsbasedonEurostat’sCommunityInnovationSurvey(CIS) questionnaire with regard to firms having implemented innovation activities aiming at areductionofmaterialandenergyinputperunitoutput,Austria’sperformancewasrelativelystrong(scores of 156 and 161 respectively). As in previous scoreboards, Austria’s performance wascomparatively low (score of 62) regarding ISO 14001 certifications, mainly because Austrianorganisationsmoreoften implementtheEUEco-ManagementandAuditScheme(EMAS)systemratherthanISO.
Figure2.2:Componentsoftheeco-innovationcompositeindexforAustria,2015
Source:EIO,2016
Thecomponentofeco-innovationoutputs is theoneyielding thehighestoverall score (136) forAustria.Thehighscoreisontheonehanddeterminedbyanoutstandingperformanceregardingthe eco-innovation-related patent indicator, where 251 eco-innovation-related patents wereregisteredin2012.Inaddition,with208publicationsin2014,theperformanceinpublicationsoneco-innovation issues is very high (score of 151). However, the indicator onmedia coverage isslightlybelowaverage(scoreof95).
With regard to the four resource efficiency indicators, Austria’s average performance is slightlyabove EU average (score of 107).Water productivity, energy productivity and greenhouse gas(GHG)emissionsintensityallhavescoresabovetheEUaverage,withscoresof120,106and122respectively.Ontheotherhand,with€1.54ofGDPgenerated foreachkilogrammeofDomesticMaterialConsumption(DMC),materialproductivityisratherlowcomparedtootherEUcountries,leadingtoascoreof80.Thislowperformanceisdue,inparticular,tothehighconsumptionoffossilfuelsandconstructionmineralsinAustria.
Withanaverage scoreof73, theAustrianperformance is comparatively lowwith regard to thecomponentofsocio-economicoutcomes.Austriascoreswellwithregardtotheindicatorexportsfromeco-innovationindustries(morethan€1billionofeco-industryexportsin2014).Thisresultsupportsthesuccessofthevariousexport-relatedinitiativesinenvironmentalareas(seeSection4
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below).However,scoresregardingtheindicatorsonemploymentandturnoverineco-industriesarelow(68and33respectively).Thus,comparedtotheoveralleconomicstructureoftheAustrianeconomy,eco-industriesstillplayarelativelyminorrole.
2 |Selectedcirculareconomyandeco-innovationareasandnewtrends
Asurveyamongmorethan100Austrianenterprisesactiveoneco-innovationactivities revealedthatmore than85%of recent eco-innovations inAustriawere realised in three thematic areas:energy(42%ofalleco-innovativeproducts),construction(27%)andmobility(17%)(IHS,2014).Inadditiontothesethreethematicareas,thewastemanagementandrecyclingsectortraditionallyisaveryimportantenvironmentalsectorintheAustrianeconomy.
Cleanenergytechnologiesaretheleadingeco-innovationfieldofAustriancompanies.Withashareof32.5%in2013,Austriahadaveryhighshareofrenewableenergyintotalenergyconsumptioncompared to other EU countries (BMWFW, 2015), and which should increase to 34% by 2020,following the EU Renewable Energy Directive. In the area of clean energy technologies, heatgeneration through thermal solar systems and heat pumps are the market-leading products,followedbyheatstoragesystemsandsmartelectricitygrids(IHS,2014).Austriancompanieshavesignificantlyprofitedfromrecentdevelopmentsoninternationalmarkets,inparticularinGermany,where Austrian industries serve as important suppliers for the rapidly expanding Germanphotovoltaicandwindpowersectors.Anotherenergy-relatedarea,whereAustriancompanieshavebuilt-upleadinginternationalrecognitionistheuseofbiomassforheatandelectricitygeneration.This market segment is also heavily oriented towards exports: for example, two-thirds of allbiomass-basedcombustionplantsinstalledinGermanyareofAustrianorigin(ABA,2015).
Austriacontinuestobeinaleadingworldwidepositioninecologicalconstructioningeneralandinthetechnologyofpassivehousebuildinginparticular.Thepassivehouseconceptisnotrestrictedtonewbuildingsbutcanalsobeappliedtorefurbishments.Sincethemid-1990s,passivehousesandbuildingshaveattaineda25%marketshareintheconstructionofnewbuildingsinAustria(IGPassivhaus,2011).Severalresearchanddevelopmentprogrammes,suchas“climateactive”bytheMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWaterManagement(BMLFUW)and“Houseofthefuture”bytheMinistryofTransport,InnovationandTechnology(BMVIT)concentrateonissuesrelatedtoconstructionandhousing(seeSection4below).Thelargestfuturemarketpotentialforeco-innovationsinthissectorcanbeexpectedintheareasofbuilding-relatedcontroltechniques(forexample,airventilationsystems),heatingsystems(forexample,woodpelletsheatingsystems)andbearingstructures(forexample,fromrecycledmaterialsorwood)(IHS,2014).
Mobilityisanupcomingareaforeco-innovationinAustria,inparticularinareasrelatedtoelectricalengine and driving technologies as well as regarding new mobility management concepts andmobilityinfrastructure.Expertsassumethataparticularlyfast-growingareawillbeintelligent,inter-modal mobility concepts, driven and coordinated by new information and communicationtechnologies(ICTs)(IHS,2014).
Waste management and recycling is another eco-innovation-related area, in which Austriancompanies havemore than 30 years of experience and technological know-how. Based on thehighestrecyclingratesthroughoutEurope,recyclinginnovationsfromAustriaareverypopularand
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often holistic systems solutions, for instance, systems developed for treating, collecting andrecycling waste, high-level logistics, or the development of regional waste management plans.AustrianrecyclingindustriesarethereforewellpositionedtoplayakeyroleinthetransformationofAustriatowardsacirculareconomy.
Holismarket
Holisisderivedfrom“holistic”andisaninnovativeconceptforanewgenerationoffoodretailmarkets,combiningaradicalzero-waste foodpackagingphilosophywith initiatives to raisepublicawareness and information with regard to diet change. Allproducts in the Holis market are sold without packaging, i.e.costumersbringtheirownbinsorbuyfoodinreturnablebowls.Holisprovidesready-madefoodpackagesforvegetarianorveganrecipeswithorganicingredientsfromregionalsourcestoprepareathome,oralternativelyofferssnacksdirectlyinthemarket.Intheevenings,cookingcoursescanbebookedatHolis.
Holismarket received the2015AustrianNationalCleanTechnologyAward in the categoryofstart-ups focusingon resourceefficiency.So far,Holishasonlyonebranch in thecityof Linz.However,themarkethasreceivedwidemediaattentionacrossAustriaandanotherzerowastemarkethasopenedinVienna.
Keywords:zero-wastefoodretailer;organicandregionalfood;zeropackaging
Internetlink:http://holis-market.at/
Hydroconnect
The double hydropower screw developed byHydroconnect allows the combination of small-scalehydropowergenerationwithinjury-freefishmigration,aswellas themovementofmicroorganismsandsedimentpast transversestructures.The innovative technology ischaracterised by a high energy efficiency (up to 70%electrical efficiency) even at low water levels. The thin hydropower screw requires only aminimumamountofconstructionworktobeinstalled,protectsriverbedsandcanbeintegratedinconspicuouslyintolandscapes.Asakeyfeature,Hydroconnect’sspeciallyshapeddoublescrewallows the passage of all common fish species, with 100% freedom from injury. This makesHydroconnect a fish-friendly and energy-efficient solution for complying with the EU WaterFrameworkDirective(WFD).
Hydroconnectreceivedthe2015AustrianNationalCleanTechnologyAwardinthecategoryofenvironment and climate. So far, two Hydroconnect projects are ongoing in two Austrianprovinces,butthetechnologycanbeappliedpotentiallyacrossEurope.
Keywords:hydro-powergeneration;fishmovements;WaterFrameworkDirective
Internetlink:www.hydroconnect.at
©holis-market.at
©hydroconnect.at
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Qando
Qando is a free app for mobile devices providing real-timeinformation on the schedules and routes of the Viennatransport authority (Wiener Linien) along with informationaboutVienna’smobilityinfrastructureandtouristattractions.The app contains schedule information for each publictransportrouteinthecity,andreal-timedeparturetimesforall tram and bus lines, as well as allowing the purchase ofpublic transport tickets via mobile phones. App users candeterminetheirpositionviatheglobalpositionsystem(GPS)forsatellite-basednavigationandletQandocalculatethefastestroutetoapre-defineddestination.
TheQuandoplatform isconstantlybeingupdatedand improved.Forexample,multi-modalitybetween different forms of transport is supported by integrating interactive maps, wherelocationsofcarsharingoptions(suchasZipCarorCar2Go)areshared,aswellasalinktothecity-bikesystem.
QandoisalsoavailableintheAustriancitiesofLinz,Graz,Salzburg,KlagenfurtandSt.Pölten.
Keywords:publictransport,real-timeinformation,inter-modaltransport
Internetlink:www.qando.at
3 |Barriersanddriversforcirculareconomyandeco-innovationinAustria
Anumberofspecificdriversof,andbarriersto,achievingacircularandeco-innovativeeconomycanbeobservedforthecaseofAustria.
Regarding drivers of eco-innovation activities, a survey conducted among 200 Austrian eco-innovativeentrepreneursrevealedthemostimportantdrivingforcesandframeworkconditionsforbusiness actors (Eurobarometer, 2011). According to this survey, the key drivers for high eco-innovationactivityinAustriaaretheavailabilityofsuitablebusinesspartners,potentialhighenergyprices in the future, expected limitations regarding access to raw materials, technological andmanagementskillsavailablewithinthecompanies,andaccesstorelevantknowledge(seealsoIHS,2014).
Regardinggeneraldrivingforcesinsupportofeco-innovationinAustria,severalissueshavealreadybeenhighlightedinpreviousEIOcountryreports,whichcontinuetohavehighrelevance:
• Well-established,fast-growingandinnovativeenvironmentaltechnologiessector.Asstatedintheintroductionchapterabove,Austriahasastrongenvironmentaltechnologiessectorthatischaracterisedbyhigherinnovationactivitiescomparedtomostothersectors.Mainreasonsarethatthissectorisverydynamicintermsoftechnologydevelopmentsandthatcompanies
©wienerlinien.at
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activeintheenvironmentalsectorgenerallyregardcontinuedhighlevelsofinnovationasakeyfactorformarketsuccess(WIFO,2013).AsAustriahasahighendowmentwithsomerenewableresources,suchastimber,specificleadershiproleshavebeendevelopedwithregardtocertaintechnologies,suchasbiomassconverters(seeSection2above).
• Highenvironmental standards. Fordecades,Austriahashadenvironmentalprotection lawsandfinancialincentivesofferedbythestateforthedevelopmentandapplicationofinnovativeenvironmentaltechnology,notleastduetothehighenvironmentalawarenessoftheAustrianpopulation. Besides national legislation, European climate, energy and other environmentaltargets to be implemented by allMember States are additional promoting factors for eco-innovationactivitiesinAustria.
• Significant increase in funding in the area of company-related research and technologydevelopment.Inrecentyears,traditionaltoolsandsubsidychannelshavebeensupplementedbycentresofcompetenceorexcellence,aswellasthematicprogrammesintheenvironmentaltechnologysector.Moreover,AustriancompaniesandresearchinstitutionsarewellintegratedintheEuropeanresearchandtechnologyprogrammes.Additionallytopublicfunding,whichhasseveralprogrammesfocussedoneco-innovationandresourceefficiencyissues(seeSection4below), in-houseR&Dand corporatemanagement (e.g. company-internal R&Defforts/plansand engaged leadership activities) are an important driver for innovation in Austria (OECD,2013).
However,actorsinAustriaalsofaceanumberof importantbarriers,severalofwhicharecloselyconnectedtothestructureoftheAustrianeconomyandbusinesssectors,suchasthefollowing:
• SME-type structureof the industry. The small-scale supplier structureof theenvironmentaltechnologiesindustryinAustriaisgenerallyregardedasakeybarrier,whichoftenpreventsastrategic handling of the market. Financial and human resources are limited in SMEs, thusstructurally restraining the efforts that can be invested into research and developmentactivities.Difficulttrade-offsareoftenbeingfacedregardingthespendingofscarceresourceseitherinR&Dorinproductionandplanning(IHS,2014).Thisdeficitinfinancialcapacitiesalsoimpedes intensive internationalnetworkingor active involvement in joint tenders and risky,large-scale projects. The SME structure leads to a weak presence of Austrian companies ineconomicallyvibrantregionssuchastheBRICscountries(WIFO,2013),althoughtargetedpolicyactivitiesarebeingexecuted,inordertoincreaseAustria’spresenceinkeyemergingmarkets,suchasChina(seeSection4below).
• Lackinginterconnectednessofplayers.Anotheraspectrelatedtothesmall-scalestructureoftheAustrianeco-innovationsectoristhefactthattheinstitutionsandinstrumentsneededtocreatesynergiesbetweenenterprises,regionsandclustersareoftenmissing.Thereareseveralclusterswithparticulareco-innovationpotential inAustria, i.e.thecluster‘EcoWorldStyria’,the ‘ecoplus’ cluster of the Business Agency of Lower Austria or the ‘EnvironmentalTechnologies Cluster Upper Austria’. However, there is limited communication among theexistingnetworksandclusters,whichalsohindersthecreationofsharedR&Dinfrastructures.
• Weakdomesticeco-industrymarket.Withaveryhighexportorientationintheenvironmentaltechnologies sector (WIFO, 2013), Austria has developed a solid position on internationalmarkets,whichitaimstofurtherstrengthenwithvariousexport-orientedinitiatives(seeSection4below).However,thedomesticmarkethasdevelopedrelativelyslowlyinthepast10-15years,whichlimitsthepotentialgrowthofthissector.
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• Lackof a common circular economy initiative. In addition to the spread responsibilitywithregardtoeco-innovationinitiativesandpolicies,Austriahassofarnotdevelopedacoordinatedplan to tackle challenges related to a circular economy transition. The recently developedRESET2020initiative(seeSection4below)isoneofthefirstinitiativesthatexplicitlyputscirculareconomyprinciplesinthecentre.
AmongAustrianbusinessrepresentatives,mainbarriersemphasisedareadisproportionateriskforinvestmentsintonew,eco-innovativetechnologies,inadequateaccesstogovernmentaidandtaxincentives,missingfinancialcapacitiesandqualifiedpersonnel,andlimitedincentivesprovidedbycurrentregulatoryframeworks(IHS,2014).
4 |Policylandscape:towardscirculareconomyinAustria
InAustria,todate,nooverarchingeco-innovationorcirculareconomypolicyprogrammeexists.Still, a number ofmeasures and initiatives have been set up by different government bodies inrecentyearsrelatingtoeco-innovationand–toalimitedextent–tocirculareconomy.Themaininstitutions involved include the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and WaterManagement(BMLFUW),theMinistryofTransport,InnovationandTechnology(BMVIT),andtheMinistryofScience,ResearchandEconomy(BMWFW).Inaddition,otherorganisations,suchastheAustrianChamberof Commerce, play an important role in (co-)financing eco-innovation-relatedinitiatives.
While BMWFW is mainly responsible for basic research, BMVIT focuses on supporting appliedresearchandrunsanumberofdedicatedprogrammesrelatedtoeco-innovationinsupportofthesustainability-oriented transformation of the Austrian economy. BMVIT and BMWFW work onresearchandinnovationintheenterprisesectorandsupportinginstitutions,andBMLFUWhosts,amongothers,theAustrianclimateandenergyfund.Whileacknowledgingrecentefforts,theOECDhasnotedinitsenvironmentalreviewforAustria(OECD,2013)thatthisinstitutionalset-uprunstheriskofproducingsituationsinwhichministriestendto‘compete’fordominanceinspecificpolicyareas,thushinderingcoordinatedactionacrossallinvolvedplayers.
Overall,Austria’seco-innovationpoliciesarerepresentedbyamixoffirst-andsecond-generationpolicies, i.e. policieswitha strong focuson traditional, end-of-pipeenvironmental technologies,such as pollution management, as well as on energy and resource efficiency. Third generationpoliciesthatexplicitlysupportsystemicorradicaleco-innovationsarestilllargelyabsent.Annex1providesanoverviewoftheAustrianeco-innovationandcirculareconomy-relatedpolicylandscape.There are a range of supply and demand-side policy measures, but a supply-side policy focusprevails,especiallyintheareasofsupportforR&Dinpublicsectorandindustry,andnetworksandpartnerships.Todate,onlyaverysmallnumberofinitiativesandinstrumentsspecificallyaddressissuesrelatedtothetransitiontoacirculareconomy.
Policyprogrammesand initiativesdescribed indetail inpreviousEIOcountryprofiles forAustriawerestill inplacein2014and2015.Theseinitiatives includetheResourceEfficiencyActionPlan(REAP)coordinatedbytheBMLFUW,projectsfinancedbytheClimateandEnergyFund(KLIEN),andthe implementation of Master Plan Environmental Technologies (MUT). In addition, export-
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initiatives that foster the export of environmental technologies, such as the BMWFW’s exportinitiative “Go International” (www.go-international.at)working in cooperationwith theAustrianChamberofCommerce(WKÖ),continuetoplayanimportantrole.
Particularlyfortheyears2014and2015,thefollowinginitiativesandactivitiescanbehighlighted:
• Focus country “China” in the Austrian Export Initiative on Environmental Technologies(www.exportinitiative.at).Thisinitiativefortheenvironmentaltechnologysectors,foundedin2005 by the BMLFUW in cooperation with theWKÖ, supports Austrian companies in theirinternationalengagements.Themaintargetcountryintheyear2015–asinseveralpreviousyears – was China, with its rapidly growing demand for environmental technologies. ThreeregionalworkshopsinChinawereorganisedin2015(inHangzhou,ShanghaiandChengdu),inorder tosupportnationalandcompany-levelcooperation in theareasofenvironmentalandclimateprotection.
• ImplementationoftheMasterPlanonGreenJobs.Thismasterplan,launchedin2010bytheMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, aims to generate200,000greenjobsuntiltheyear2018.Intermediateachievementsoftheimplementationofthemasterplanwereevaluated in2014and2015.Theevaluationrevealedthatacontinuedpositivetrendcouldbeobservedinthepastfewyears.Sincetheeconomiccrisisin2008,bothturnoverandemploymentintheenvironmentalsectorshowedarounddoublethegrowthratesoftheAustrianeconomyonaverage.
• DevelopmentoftheinitiativeRESET2020–Resources.Efficiency.Technologies.TheMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWaterManagementdevelopedtheRESET2020initiativein2015,aimingat integratingresourceefficiency intheareasofenvironmental technologiesandsustainableproductionandconsumption.Theinitiative’sobjectiveistotriggercooperationandknowledgeexchangebetweenstakeholdersfrombusiness,publicadministration,academiaand civil society, and to provide knowledge on key areas of action to improve resourceefficiency. Optimising the non-energy use of natural resources in the context of a circulareconomy,andpromoting‘cascadicuse’,formsthethematiccentreofthis initiative.RegionalcirculareconomyinitiativesareonefocalareaoftheimplementationofRESET(seeBoxbelow).
• ResearchanddevelopmentprogrammeCityoftheFuture.Thisspecificprogramme,financedby the Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology in the context of its broader‘ProgrammeonTechnologiesforSustainableDevelopment’,launcheditsfirstannualcallattheendof 2013,with two follow-up calls in 2014 and2015. TheCity of the Futureprogramme(https://www.ffg.at/stadt-der-zukunft-das-programm) aims at developing new technologies,new technological systemsandurban services in the fieldsofenergy-oriented cityplanning,modernisationandoptimisationofbuildings.Italsosupportsdemonstrationprojectsfornewurban settlement projects. Thereby, the programme aims to contribute to the urbanmodernisationofAustriancities,integratinghighresourceefficiencywithhighqualityoflifefortheresidents.
• “ClimateActive(klimaaktiv)”programme.Alsorelatedtothisthematicareaisthefocalarea“eco-efficientconstructionandhousing” in theClimateActiveprogrammeof theMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWaterManagement,aimingatmaximisingenergyandresource efficiency in the construction of new buildings and the renovation of existingstructures.A largenumberofneworupdatedcriteria catalogues fordifferent typesofnewbuildingswerepresented in2014andareavailableonline (http://www.klimaaktiv.at/bauen-sanieren/gebaeudedeklaration/kriterienkatalog.html).
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BestpracticesinAustrianregionalcirculareconomyinitiatives
In2015,theMinistryofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWaterManagement(BMLFUW)commissioned a study to the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) to compileexistingknowledgeonbest-practiceexamplesonregionalcirculareconomyinitiativesinAustria.Thestudywillbepublishedinsummer2016andaddressesquestionssuchas:Whichdriversandbarriersexisttoimplementregionalcirculareconomyinitiatives?Whichbest-practiceexamplesonthelocalandregionallevelcanbeidentifiedinAustria?Andwhichpolicyinstrumentssupporttheimplementationofregionalcirculareconomyinitiatives?
InAustria,severalregionaldevelopmentinitiativesarefoundedaroundtheprinciplesofacirculareconomy and energy autonomy. These include, among others, the Styrian Volcano Land(www.vulkanland.at),theEuropeanCentreforRenewableEnergyinGüssing(http://www.eee-info.net/cms),theBioRegionMühlviertel(www.bioregion-muehlviertel.at)ortheEnergyVisionMurau(www.energievision.at).
Interviews with the coordinators of the various regional initiatives revealed that several keyfactorsdetermineasuccessfulimplementation.AtthenationalandEuropeanlevel,theseincludesecuringcontinuousfinancialsupportvianationalprogrammes(suchasviatheAustrianEnergyFund)orEUregionaldevelopmentfunds(suchasLeader),aswellasstrategicsupportforlocalactors regarding compliance with technical or legal aspects. At the regional level, expertsemphasisedtheimportanceofinitiatingsuchaprocesswithascreeningonthespecificregionalpotential,e.g.regardingspecificrawmaterialsavailableineachregion.Inordertosecurehighacceptance,trustandparticipationintheregion,it isessentialtoinvolveallrelevantactorsasearlyaspossibleintheprocess.Optionsforfinancialsupportneedtobeinvestigated,inordertodecideontheinstitutionalstructureoftheinitiative,e.g.viaassociations,non-profit-companiesorrawmaterialorenergyassociations.Intensivenetworkingwiththehigherpolicylevels,suchasthemanagementofthe“Leader”regions,aswellasconnectionstotheprovinceandnationallevels, are deemed essential for a successful implementation of a regional circular economystrategy.
Researchanddevelopmenttaxcredit
TheAustriangovernmentprovidesfinancialsupportforresearchanddevelopmentactivitiesincompanies. Based on the Austrian income tax law, companies can claim the Research andDevelopment Tax Credit from the tax office for already completed research activities andexperimentaldevelopmentwork.AccordingtoStatisticsAustria,theschemeaccountedforsome€500millionworthoffundingpaidtocompaniesin2013.
In 2015, the Austrian government decided to raise the tax credit from 10% to 12%,which isexpected to have positive effects in 2016. With this measure, Austria wants to increase itsinternationalprofileasalucrativelocationforinnovativebusinesses.AccordingtotheAustrianBusiness Agency, this measure should serve as an innovation boost for companies in theenvironmentaltechnologysectors(ABA,2015).
Keywords:researchanddevelopment,taxcredits
Internetlink:http://www.its-foerderberatung.at/en/rdtaxcredit/
12
Sustainabilityagendaforbeveragepackaging
Alreadymore than1,000Austrian companies are involved inthe initiative “Sustainability agenda for beveragepackaging”,which was initiated by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.With thisvoluntaryagreementbetweenbeverageproducers,allmajorfoodandbeverageretailersandrecyclingcompaniesin Austria, the targetwas defined to reduce greenhouse gasemissionsbyatleast10%inabsolutetermsbetween2008and2017.Thestrategiestoachievethisoverarchingtargetareontheonehandorientedtowardsstabilisingtheshareofreusablepackagingthroughinvestigatingin technical improvementsandraiseawareness.Ontheotherhand, thematerialefficiencyofdisposable packaging, particularly plastics and metal packaging, is being increased throughfurther raising recycling ratios and investing in recycling technologies, such as PET-to-PETrecycling.
Keywords:sustainableconsumption,productlabelling,sustainableproducts
Internetlink:www.nachhaltigkeitsagenda.at
Initiative“Bewusstkaufen”(“BuyAware”)
The initiative “Buy Aware”, initiated by theAustrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry,Environment andWaterManagement is thefirstwebportal for sustainable consumptionin Austria. It aims to increase consumers’awarenessofsustainableproductsandprovidesextensiveinformationonoptionsforconscious,sustainableconsumption.
The website www.bewusstkaufen.at presents information about current sustainability topics,projectsandinnovations,andofferscomprehensiveinformationtosupportconsumersinmakingsustainabledecisionswhenshopping.Theonlinedatabasefeaturesmorethan2,000sustainableproductsaswellas shoppingguides formore than60productareas. Italsocontainsdetaileddescriptionsofover250labelscurrentlyinusehelpsidentifyingsustainableproductsthatcanbeboughtinAustria.Inaddition,ablogprovidesexpertswithaplatformtoexpresstheiropiniononarangeofdifferentsustainabilitytopics.
Keywords:sustainableconsumption,productlabelling,sustainableproducts
Internetlink:www.bewusstkaufen.at
©www.bewusstkaufen.at
©www.nachhaltigkeitsagenda.at
13
ReferencesABA, 2015. Österreich - Starker Standort für Umwelttechnologien und erneuerbare Energien.AustrianBusinessAgency,Wien.
BMWFW,2015.EnergiestatusÖsterreich2015:Entwicklungbis2013.MinisteriumfürWissenschaft,ForschungundWirtschaft,Wien.
Eurobarometer, 2011. Attitudes of European entrepreneurs towards eco-innovation. FlashEurobarometer315.GallupOrganization,Brussels.
IG Passivhaus, 2011. Das Passivhaus - das Haus der Zukunft. Accessed 10.11.2011, fromwww.igpassivhaus.at.
IHS, 2014. Das Potenzial vonÖko-Innovationen für den StandortÖsterreich. Institut für HöhereStudien(IHS),Wien.
OECD, 2013. OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Austria. Organisation for EconomicCooperationandDevelopment,Paris.
StatistikAustria,2016.ÜberblickUmweltumsatzundUmweltbeschäftigte2008bis2014.StatistikAustria,Wien.
UBA,2013.EnvironmentalSituationinAustria–10thStateoftheEnvironmentReport.EnvironmentAgencyAustria,Vienna.
WIFO,2013.ÖsterreichischeUmwelttechnikindustrie.ExportundWettbewerbsfähigkeit[Austrianenvironmental technology industries. Export and competetiveness]. Austrian Institute forEconomicsResearch,Vienna.
WKÖ, 2015. Nachhaltigkeitskontest 2015 [Sustainability contest 2015]. Austrian Chamber ofCommerce,Vienna.
14
ANNEX:Policymeasuresaddressingcirculareconomyandeco-innovationsinAustria
Groupofpolicymeasures Typeofpolicymeasure
Specificmeasure
Pleaseprovidereferencetoorbriefsummaryofspecificmeasures(national,regional)
Focusofpolicymeasure(tickifrelevant)
Circular
economy
Generic
focuson
eco-
innovation
Resource
efficiency
improveme
nt
Energy
efficiency
improve
ment
Reduction
of
emissions
incl.CO2
Other
relevant
areas(e.g.
renewable
energy,etc)
SUPP
LYSIDEFO
CUS Equity/business
support
Publiclyco-fundedventure
capitalfunds
- The Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws) puts impetuses for
innovationsinthenationalindustry.TheCleantechinitiativeallocatesrisk
capitalforenterprisesintheareaofenergytechnologiesandenvironmental
technologies. A total budget of €100million is envisaged for supporting
start-upcompanies.
http://awsg.at/Content.Node/en/index.en.php
x
- Enhancement of “Mountain Cleantech Fund II”: aiming at volumes of
€100 million. Mainly invested in future Austrian Cleantech-growth
enterpriseswithturnoversof€3-50million.
http://mountain.partners/en/global-presence/mountain-cleantech-fund-
ii/
x
Publicguaranteefunds
SupportforR&Dinpublicsectorandindustry
R&Dfunding
- TheProgramme on Technologies for Sustainable Development by theMinistryofTransport, InnovationandTechnologyisthebiggestandmost
important programme promoting eco-innovation in Austria. It aims at
supporting the economy with future-oriented innovations, initiates and
supports trendsetting research and development projects and the
x x x x x x
15
implementation of exemplary pilot projects. It consists of the four sub-
programmes “Building of Tomorrow”, “City of the Future”, “Factory ofTomorrow”,“EnergysystemsofTomorrow”.AsignificantshareofAustria’spassive house and ecological construction knowledge stems from this
programme.
http://www.nachhaltigwirtschaften.at/
TheClimateandEnergyFund(KLIEN)oftheFederalGovernmentaimsto
ensure a sustainable energy supply, a reduction of greenhouse gas
emissionsandanincreaseinR&Dactivitiesintheclimateandenergyareas.
In2016,KLIENaimsatspendingmorethan€100milllion in researchand
otherfundingprogrammes(suchasclima:aktiv).
https://www.klimafonds.gv.at/home-en-US/
x x x x
Collaborativegrants
TherearedifferentcollaborativegrantprogrammesinAustria:
-FondszurFörderungderwissenschaftlichenForschung(AustrianScience
Fund-FWF).FWFspentaround€200milliononmorethan650projectsin
2015.
http://www.fwf.ac.at/en/
x
- Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (Austrian Research
Promotion Agency – FFG). FFG manages a large number of R&D
programmes.
https://www.ffg.at/en
x
R&Dinfrastructure
In 2016, FFG has launched a new specific programme to support the
building-upandexpansionofhigh-qualityR&Dinfrastructure.
x
https://www.ffg.at/FuE-Infrastrukturfoerderung.at
Fiscalmeasures
TaxincentivesforR&Dand
start-ups
Thestrengtheningof theoperational researchanddevelopment (R&D) is
one key factor for the improvement of the competitiveness of Austrian
companies.
x
ThebasisfortheR&Dtaxallowanceisexpenditureonthedevelopmentor
improvement of economically valuable inventions. In 2015, the Austrian
16
government decided to raise the tax credit from 10% to 12%, which is
expectedtohavepositiveeffectsin2016.
TaxincentivesforR&D
personnel
Seeabove.
Education,trainingandmobility
Tailoredtrainingcoursesfor
companies,entrepreneurs
TheWirtschaftsförderungsinstitut (WIFI) is an example for occupational
educationinAustria.WIFIservesasaplatformandknowledgemediatorin
differentfieldsofinnovation.WIFIactsasapartnerforSMEswithregardto
managementandinnovationquestions.WIFIalsoworksasaninternational
gateway for knowledge transfer, international programmes and new
educationdraughts.
http://wifi.at/start
x
ACT –Austrian Clean Technology is theAustrian competence centre for
environmentaltechnologyandenergytechnologyaswellasenvironmental
services. The major tasks of ACT are to co-ordinate and encourage the
establishedmeasuresofthemasterplanforenvironmentaltechnology.ACT
alsosupportstheobjectivesofthemasterplanwithregardtogreenjobs.
ACTperceivesitselfasacharitableandall-partyinstitution.
www.act-center.at
x
Advice/consultingforstart-
ups,companies,
entrepreneurs
Thefounder'sserviceoftheChamberofCommerce(WKÖ)offerscompany
founders and franchisees professional support in starting their
entrepreneurshipactivities.
www.gründerservice.at
x
Therearealsosomefounder’sservicesfrombanksinAustrialiketheGO!
GründerOffensivefromErsteBank,andsavingsbankswithawebportaland
personalcontactpointsforeachfederalstate.
x
INiTS(InnovationintoBusiness)hasbeenprovidingadviceandsupportforentrepreneurswithinnovativeideassince2002.Theservicesareaimedat
graduates, employees and students at universities and universities of
appliedsciences(Fachhochschulen)inViennawhoaimtoputtheirbusiness
ideas intopracticebystartingupacompany.Since2002, INiTShasspent
more than€200millionofprivate capital andmore than€100millionof
publicsupportmoneyintoalmost200start-upcompanies,creatingalmost
2,000jobs.
x
17
http://www.inits.at/en/
Placementschemesfor
students
In Austria there are severalweb portals and networks for students andother employees. In particular, for the sector of innovations and “green
jobs”therearemultipleopportunities.
Forexample:www.green-jobs.at
x
GoEcoSocial–PortalforMasterTheses,asapartoftheeco-socialstudent’s
forum(ÖSSFO):Thechallengeliesontheonehandinthesensitisationof
thestudentsbyeventsandactionsandontheotherhandinthespreading
andscientificdeepeningoftheeco-socialmarketeconomy.
http://www.go-ecosocial.at/
x
SupportforR&Dworkers
recruitments
FFG support for human resources. According to FFG, attracting highlyqualifiedresearcherstotakeuppositionsinR&D,retainingsuchemployees
through appropriate structural and personnel measures andmaking the
most of existing staff potential through the provision of relevant
employmentconditionsarecurrentlysomeofthemajorchallengesfacedby
R&Dorganisations.FFGthushasarangeofprogrammessupportingyoung
talentsaswellasexperiencedresearchers.
https://www.ffg.at/en/content/ffg-support-human-resources
x
Networksandpartnerships
Competencecentres,
clusters,science-technology
parks
TheGreenTechValley is located inAustria,hostinganumberofglobally
leadingGreenTechCompanieswithinasmallregioninStyria.Today,200
companies and research centres are working on Green and Cleantech
solutionsfortomorrowintheClusterECOWorldStyria.ECOWorldStyria
supportscompanieswithbasicservicesandprojects,withstrategiclevers
forgrowthdriverssuchasinnovation,know-how,andnewmarkets.
http://eco.at/cms/223//English/
x x x x x
AsthebusinessagencyofLowerAustria,ecoplusistheinterfacebetweenbusinessandpolitics,companiesandauthorities,investorsandinitiatorsof
regional projects – on both a national and international scale. The
organisation works within its established network of partners from the
Austrianprovincesandmunicipalities,aswellaswithEUinstitutions.The
main focus lies on the continued development of Lower Austria as a
businesslocationandthesupportofcompaniesinLowerAustria.
x
18
http://www.ecoplus.at/en/ecoplus/about-us
TheClusterPlatformAustriawasestablishedin2008asaninitiativeoftheFederal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth for information and
cooperation purposes for the Austrian cluster players at national and
regional level. The National Cluster Platform initiates the discussion of
topicsofcommonconcernwithinworkinggroups.Itactivelycontributesto
furtherdevelopmentsof theAustrian research,development, technology
andinnovation(RDTI)policyandthelink-uptoclusteractivitiesatEuropean
level,andfacilitatesaconsiderableriseintheimplementationofinnovative
measuresinAustria.
http://www.clusterplattform.at/index.php?id=1&L=1
x x x x
EnvironmentalTechnologyCluster(UpperAustria).Currently,160partnercompaniescooperateintheenvironmentaltechnologycluster,whichwas
founded in January 2006. The cluster represents a hub for technology
providersandusers,andisaknow-howprovideraswellasaplatformfor
know-who transfer in the areas of water, waste, soil, air and noise.
Furthermore, it supports environmental technology companies in all
measuresforthedevelopmentofproductandprocessinnovations,initiates
nationaland internationalcooperativeprojects,andprovides information
aboutcurrentfundingopportunities.
http://www.umwelttechnik-cluster.at/
x x x x x
Technologyplatformsand
innovationnetworks
COMET–CompetenceCentresforExcellentTechnologies,hostedbyFFG.
Thecompetencecentreprogrammesinitiatedin1998(Kplus,K_ind,K_net)
belongtothemostsuccessful innovationsoftechnologypolicyinAustria.
Theprogrammepromotestheconstructionofcompetencecentreswhose
coreisacooperativelydefinedresearchprogrambyeconomyandscience
atahighlevel.
https://www.ffg.at/comet
x
Foresightandcommon
visionbuilding
In years to come, future growth in environmental engineering will be
characterised by companies from outside the industry, and “career
changers”.TheECOFutureRadaristhecentraltooltobedevelopedfurtherandupdatedbyEcoWorldStyria.
http://www.eco.at/cms/802/FutureRadar
x x x x x
19
Marketintelligenceand
otherformsofinformation
sharing
Withtheslogan"WorldwidebusinessSupport"andwiththehelpofawide
range of services in the areas of Information, Coaching and Events, the
AWO-Programmeby theWKÖsees it as itsduty tobring still undecided
enterprises into the export business, leading dynamic ones into new
marketsandsupportingthealreadyefficienttogrowsuccessfully.
x
https://www.wko.at/Content.Node/service/aussenwirtschaft/Aussenwirts
chaft---Channelstartseite.html
DEMAN
DSIDE
FOCU
S
Regulationsandstandards
Regulations,targets,cap&
tradeschemes
The Austrian Climate Protection Law from 2011 determined maximum
emission levels for six economic sectors, i.e.wastemanagement, energy
and industry not covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS),
fluoridegases,buildings,agricultureandtransport.Incooperationbetween
the federal and regional governments, an implementationplanhasbeen
elaboratedforallsixsectors.
x x x
ACM(AustrianCarbonManagement)istheonlyAustrianinterdisciplinaryservice platform for climate change services. ACM consists of three
companiesandabigAustrianbank,RZB.WithinACM,companyDENKSTATT
is conducting climate strategies and consulting for corporates, iC
ConsulentenandTPAareperforming Joint Implementation (JI)andClean
DevelopmentMechanism(CDM)projectsandareworkingstronglyforthe
Public Sector. The bank RZB provides subsidies and support for climate
policyprojects.
http://www.centric.at/partners/acm-austrian-carbon-management
x x x
Performancestandards,
labelling,certification
Classificationofdifferentenvironmental labels isaccordingtoType I (ISO
14024),TypeII(ISO14021)andTypeIII(ISO/TR14025).Themostimportant
Austrian example for Type I is the “Austrian Environment Label” (“DasÖsterreichischeUmweltzeichen”).Thislabelwasintroducedin1990andis
being provided for products, companies in the tourism industry, and
institutionsofeducation,suchasschools.
http://www.umweltzeichen.at/cms/en/austrian-
ecolabel/vision/content.html
x x x x
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) leads to enhancedperformance, credibility and transparency of registered organisations.
While ISO 14001 is predominant in other EU member states, Austrian
organisationsmoreoftenimplementtheEMASsystem.Onereasonforthe
high number of EMAS registrations (currently around 290) inAustria are
x x x x
20
specificfinancialandtechnicalsupportactivitiesthattheAustrianMinistry
ofAgriculture,Forestry,EnvironmentandWaterManagement,theAustrian
provinces and the chamber of commerce have offered since EMAS was
introducedin1993.
Publicprocurement
“Green“publicprocurement
ofgoodsandservices
TheNationalActionPlanonsustainablepublicprocurement(NaBe)wasadoptedbytheCouncilofMinistersinJuly2010.Theactionplanconsistsof
two parts. Part I contains the policy background, the definition of
sustainableprocurement,targetsandinitiatives,aswellasimplementation.
Part II defines key environmental criteria for 16 product groups of key
interestforpublicprocurers,includingbuildings,vehicles,chemicalsandIT
products.In2016,afocalareaisbeingseton“circularprocurement”,i.e.
purchaseofproductswithahighdegreeofcircularityoftheinvolvedraw
materials.
http://www.nachhaltigebeschaffung.at
x x x x x
R&Dprocurement
Pre-commercial
procurement
TechnologyTransfer
Advisorysupportfor
technologyadopters
TherearedifferentsupportstrategiesforAustriantechnologyadoptersby
AWS(AustriaWirtschaftsservice),seeabove,includingadvisoryandfiscalaidprogrammes,ERP-Fonds,andAWSfundsforSMEs.
http://awsg.at/Content.Node/en/index.en.php
x
Financialorfiscalsupportfor
technologyadopters
(e.g.grantsforpurchasing
newtechnology)
SeeAWSabove. x
21
Supportofprivatedemand
Taxincentivesforconsumers
(e.g.forpurchasing
environmentallyefficient
products)
Taxreductionsforproducts
andservices(e.g.VAT
reductions)
Taxreductionsarebeinggrantedforsomeenvironmentalfriendlyproducts.
For example, the car purchase tax (NOVA) is not charged for electric
vehicles,resultinginanaround16%reductionoftheoverallprice.
x x x
Demandsubsidies(e.g.eco-
vouchers,consumer
subsidies)
Incentives for feed-in tariffs regarding private eco-electricity production,
suchasfromsolarpanelsexistinseveralAustrianprovinces.
x x x
Thegovernmentalsosupportsthethermalinsulationofprivatehomes.For
acomplete insulation following the“clima.aktiv” standards,up to€5,000
canbereceivedin2016.
x x x
Awarenessraisingand
informationprovision
Therearemanydifferentactivitiesthataimtoraiseawarenessprovidedby
localcommunitygovernments,environmentalagencies,etc.
For example, the AustrianMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment
andWaterManagement(BMLFUW)hostsanumberofinitiativesinthearea
ofsustainableconsumption,includinganinfo-portal,“Buyaware”.
http://www.bewusstkaufen.at
x x x x x x
AbouttheEco-InnovationObservatory(EIO)
TheEco-InnovationObservatory(EIO)istheinitiativefinancedbytheEuropeanCommission’sDirectorate-GeneralfortheEnvironment.TheObservatoryisdevelopinganintegratedinformationsourceandaseriesofanalysesoneco-innovationtrendsandmarkets,targetingbusiness,innovationserviceproviders,policymakersaswellasresearchersandanalysts.
VisitEIOandDGENVEco-innovationActionPlan(EcoAP)websiteandregistertogetaccesstomoreinformationandtoaccessallEIOreports,briefsanddatabases.
www.eco-innovation.euec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap