Vienna ranks third in Greenpeace gas phase-out study

Vienna has ranked third among 15 European capitals in a Greenpeace study of phasing out gas for heating, ORF reports. The city scored highly for its strategy but lost points because of gas use in its district heating system and waste incineration.

Vienna scored 81.4 out of 100, behind Stockholm on 91.8 and Paris on 83.5. It received full marks in the policy and governance and finance categories, reflecting its Heat Plan 2040 and its “Raus aus Gas” programme. Its score for emissions and results was 60.

The report says more than 60 percent of Vienna’s district heating still depends on fossil natural gas, while about one-third of its heat comes from thermal waste treatment.

Prepared for Greenpeace by consultant Mehmet Börühan Bulut, the study uses harmonised EU emissions data and draws on OECD guidelines, but applies criteria set by the environmental organisation. Its methodology caps scores for district heating systems when waste incineration accounts for at least 20 percent, and counts temporary investments in gas as a shortcoming.