Aigner defends climate stance and rejects rapid gas exit

Joachim Aigner, leader of the MFG party in Upper Austria, defended his climate and energy policies in an ORF summer interview, opposing a rapid phaseout of gas and further wind power expansion. He said further reductions in Austria’s carbon dioxide emissions would not save the climate but could further damage Europe’s industry.

Aigner did not explicitly deny human-caused climate change, but repeatedly pointed to Austria’s share of global carbon dioxide emissions, which he put at 0.15 percent. He said Austria could not save the global climate while major emitters such as China, India and the United States continued to produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.

In his view, climate measures must not lead to deindustrialisation or a loss of prosperity. He also defended previous MFG statements on carbon dioxide, including the party’s 2024 election slogan that it was not a climate-damaging substance but “a substance of life”. Aigner pointed to the role of carbon dioxide in plant growth and forests.

Asked about the view held by large parts of the scientific community that carbon dioxide is a major driver of global warming, Aigner said science consisted of “opinion, counter-opinion, thesis and antithesis”. He described carbon capture, the planned storage of climate-damaging carbon dioxide underground, as potentially useful, but said Austria had another carbon store in its forests. He added that forest growth was binding carbon dioxide.

Aigner said Upper Austria should focus more on hydropower and photovoltaic energy. He remained critical of wind power in the province, saying it was not the region that should primarily rely on wind energy because he considered the available wind resources too limited. However, he said democratic decisions by municipalities should be respected. If residents voted in favour of wind turbines in referendums, the result would have to be accepted.

A higher retirement age possible

Aigner also said the current pension system was not sustainable in the long term. He could envisage raising the retirement age, potentially to 70, while maintaining the principle that 45 years of work should be sufficient.

On Linz Airport, Aigner said the location could be important for the economy but opposed further large public subsidies. He could imagine partial privatisation, with the province retaining a 50 percent stake.

Clearance preferred at old tyre landfill

Aigner said he had recently inspected the old tyre landfill in Ohlsdorf in the Gmunden district. Around 80 centimetres of soil currently cover the landfill. Adding another eight to 10 metres, he said, could create pressure that would lead to heat developing and increase the risk of fires. The landfill would then have to be monitored for longer than the planned 10 years.

Asked whether the tyre storage facility should be covered and monitored for longer, Aigner said he would prefer it to be cleared and remediated. He could not estimate the cost or duration of such work. He said clarification was needed as to why taxpayer money allocated to the landfill’s remediation since 2011 had apparently not been sufficient.

Despite weak polling figures ahead of the provincial election, Aigner said he remained determined to campaign. If MFG failed to return to the provincial parliament, he could imagine remaining politically active, provided his family and party supported the decision.