Transport emissions in Styria rise 45% since 1990

Transport emissions in Styria have risen 45% since 1990, while emissions from buildings have fallen 68%, according to a VCÖ analysis reported by ORF. The analysis, based on data from the Environment Agency Austria, identifies transport as the sector with the largest increase in CO2 emissions over that period.

Emissions from transport are about 20% lower than in 2005. But compared with 1990, the sector produces 925,000 tonnes more climate-damaging emissions each year. Over the same period, emissions from buildings fell by 1.4 million tonnes and those from the energy sector by two million tonnes. Transport’s share of Styria’s greenhouse gas emissions nearly doubled, from 14.5% to 27.6%.

Since a peak in 2019, transport emissions in the state have fallen by about 700,000 tonnes, the VCÖ said. Styria has the fifth-highest transport CO2 emissions per person, at 2,370 kilograms a year. The figures are 2,075 kilograms in Tyrol and 1,875 in Vorarlberg. Vienna has the lowest per-person figure; the analysis points to its extensive public transport network and the greater scope for residents to run errands on foot or by bicycle.

The VCÖ is calling for more public transport, cycling and walking, along with expanded cycle infrastructure and better public transport connections. It also recommends traffic calming and more 30 km/h speed limits instead of 50 km/h in towns and cities. The organisation says these measures could cut emissions, improve air quality and road safety, and reduce reliance on imported oil and transport costs.

Electric cars are also part of the transition, the VCÖ said. In September, they accounted for 27% of new car registrations in Styria, compared with 42% in Upper Austria. At the end of September, about 39,500 cars registered in Styria were electric, just under 5% of the total.

Transit lorries also weigh on Styria’s climate figures. The VCÖ called on the federal government to take stronger action on truck transit. It backed a demand by the Chamber of Labour, citing a recent study that found Austria was not using the full level of truck tolls permitted under EU law. The study estimated this left about 450 million euros a year uncollected, with 68% of the potential revenue benefiting foreign freight operators.