Vienna updates climate roadmap to address heat and drought

Vienna is adding a stronger focus on drought and heat to its climate roadmap, ORF reported, as the city updates the plan first adopted in 2022.

The city says it will prioritise regional agriculture, natural and recreational spaces, and a more reliable drinking-water supply as drought periods become more frequent. It also plans to revise its heat action plan and heat-management system, with rapid responses to extreme heat a priority. The changes follow what the article describes as Austria’s hottest summer in recorded history.

The update will also clarify the definitions of climate justice and climate neutrality. The city’s goals cover areas including mobility, construction, energy, consumption and waste. Vienna plans to support businesses with sustainable production and circular-economy practices, including in new construction and renovation, and to continue promoting building upgrades with a focus on renewable energy systems.

The roadmap’s long-term targets, including climate neutrality by 2040, will remain unchanged, Environment Councillor Jürgen Czernohorszky said. A law requires the city council to review the plan every five years. Czernohorszky stressed that it is not a detailed list of measures: individual departments are responsible for projects, funding and legislative changes, with climate director Andreas Januskovecz coordinating implementation. The roadmap’s goals also inform city rules, including the building code.

Czernohorszky has said that national legislation is also needed for a lasting phaseout of oil and gas. He has described the Renewable Heat Act as an important step but criticised its 2024 version as having been “watered down”.