Austria Restarts Building Renovation Initiative, Slashing Fossil Heating
The federal government has restarted its building renovation initiative, with a new funding scheme set to replace fossil heating systems with climate-friendly alternatives. The 'First Come First Served' principle will govern the allocation of funds, which will cover up to 30 percent of total costs, a significant reduction from the previous 75 percent.
The initiative, with a total budget of 1.8 billion euros by 2030, aims to replace over 30,000 fossil heating systems annually. This is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 270,000 tons per year. Applications for funding can be submitted from mid-November at the official website, with services carried out from October 3rd eligible for retroactive funding.
The restart was presented in Vienna by Norbert Totschnig, a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). The initiative has received mixed reactions. Industry associations, such as the Renewable Energy Austria Association (EEÖ) and the Research Association of the Austrian Building Materials Industry (FBI), have welcomed the move. However, opposition parties FPÖ and Greens have criticized the initiative, with FPÖ calling it a 'waste of taxpayers' money' and the Greens warning of a 'clear-cut in environmental funding'.
The government has set a fixed annual budget of 360 million euros to prevent the premature exhaustion of funds. The initiative is set to significantly impact the building industry and environmental sustainability in Austria.
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