How active are Austria’s cities and communities when it comes to moving towards climate neutrality?
Although we don’t have a standard definition, climate neutrality sets the overall goal: decarbonisation by 2040. This goal calls for a rapid and fundamental transformation of energy, heating and mobility systems, new methods for planning and erecting buildings and goal-oriented governance approaches with widespread inclusion of the citizens. A number of cities have already issued binding declarations on achieving climate neutrality. In some cases, local greenhouse gas emissions are monitored and forecasts are generated to track the necessary reductions. Climate road maps have been drafted with specific reduction targets and backed up with concrete measures and systematically planned project bundles. It is rare to see climate protection projects executed in an isolated or independent fashion. But the range of different activities is broad. Cities are also not islands, and their freedom of action and decision-making authority are limited in many areas. They depend on proper framework conditions for taking effective action. To enable cities to play a more active role, they require action on the part of the federal government (e.g. the Renewable Energy Act), the provinces (e.g. building ordinances, Regional Planning Act) and local stakeholders, such as energy suppliers, real estate developers (as investors) and the population (acceptance, consumer behaviour). This is why the BMK’s mission “Climate-neutral City” in collaboration with the Climate and Energy Fund represents a significant milestone that will assist many cities in making the right decisions and playing an active role in climate protection.
 
You are coordinator of the Smart Cities networking platform. What does the platform offer?
The networking platform was established in 2016 at the initiative of the “Smart Cities” of Vienna, Graz and Salzburg as well as the BMK as an interface for sharing knowledge, mutual learning and translating the needs of cities into RTI research questions. We organize targeted communication and exchange formats to accelerate transformation and innovation processes, to strengthen the cooperation between cities as well as with research institutions and businesses and to regularly initiate projects that go beyond individual cities. These activities have been met with great interest by other cities. As of 2022, Villach, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck, Linz and St. Pölten are also part of the Smart Cities Network Austria. The expansion of the platform has enabled a more in-depth exchange of knowledge while also defining a new focus: climate neutrality. The platform contemplates and discusses topics related to the energy and the mobility transformation, digitalisation, climate protection and adaptation to climate change. Participation in the networking platform is voluntary, free and open to all cities. The only requirements are active participation in the formats and the contribution of experience and knowledge.
 
How important is knowledge transfer at the international level, such as in connection with the technology programme “Cities TCP” of the International Energy Agency (IEA)?
Taking a higher level perspective not only improves our own understanding, it also exposes us to valuable potential solutions to local problems. That is why cooperation within the German-speaking region – which has given rise to the Austrian principles for regional energy planning, positive energy districts and residential complex certification, for example – as well as tapping into the knowledge of transnational organisations and programmes of the EU also play a major role. In particular, the research activities of the IEA offer a broad spectrum of technical components that have not thus far been adapted for use in cities. The “Cities TCP” strives to close this gap in three ways:
> Establishing a system of knowledge management pertaining to the decarbonisation of cities as a one-stop shop for cities as well as other TCPs
> Translating existing knowledge from IEA research into urban applications and formulation of research questions based on the needs of cities
> Linking of national city networks as well as technical and non-technical experts to accelerate the path to climate neutrality.
The national activities must always strive to ensure that even the smallest communities can benefit from the activities and projects undertaken at the international and national levels as well as by large cities. However, this necessitates efforts to translate the results from the transnational level down to the national and regional levels.