VIENNA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Austrian government unveiled its new energy and climate strategy on Tuesday, aiming to meet European Union-set CO2 emissions goals by 2030, the Krone newspaper reported.
Sustainability minister Elisabeth Kostinger and transport minister Norbert Hofer presented the plan to media in Vienna, noting that Austria will have to reduce its CO2 emissions by 36 percent from its 2005 levels to meet the goal.
Up until now, the reduction since that year has only amounted to eight percent.
One major pillar of the new plan is an intended boost in the amount of bicycle use. The government hopes this form of transport will make up 13 percent of all traffic by 2025, which would be close to a doubling of its present level.
The use of electric cars is also high on the list of priorities, with Hofer stating that the use of older diesel-fuel vehicles "concern me", and are largely only still used due to a lack of funds for newer vehicles.
An expansion of current funding incentives for electric vehicles is planned, along with similar support for electric car sharing services, taxis, and logistics vehicles.
In addition, the ministers said a further target was to eliminate the use of oil-based heating in new buildings from 2020, with no new taxes or other financial burdens to come as a result.
The new strategy has drawn criticism from some, one such criticism being the fact there has been no mention of CO2 emissions reductions in the industrial sector to date.
