The Austrian government has expanded its existing impact assessment to include climate aspects, meaning new federal laws and regulations will undergo a 'Climate Check' in the future. The goal is to identify and transparently present climate impacts early in the legislative process. According to Environment and Climate Minister Norbert Totschnig, the check creates a well-founded basis for decision-making.
"With the 'Climate Check', we are creating an important and constructive building block in climate policy at the federal level," Totschnig said. " The respective responsible ministries conduct the assessment in the preparation phase of a legal project, with support available from a Climate Check Service Center in the Environment and Climate Ministry. However, Erwin Zangerl, President of the Tyrol Chamber of Labour, sharply criticized the measure.
The 'Climate Check' is nothing more than a 'lip service'.
He called the 'Climate Check' nothing more than a 'lip service' and argued that the effects of laws on the climate are assessed but have no consequences. "The 'Climate Check' is 'toothless' because it does not prevent climate-damaging laws," Zangerl stated. He also questioned whether the check creates an expensive bureaucratic monster.
6 million poor people. He said these people would 'not benefit much from a Climate Check' and that federal politics performed poorly in crises and inflation years. The specific criteria used in the 'Climate Check' and how it will be enforced remain unclear.
The 'Climate Check' is 'toothless' because it does not prevent climate-damaging laws.
It is also unknown if there is any plan to implement a 'Social Check' as proposed. The policy aims to support decision-makers in objectively assessing climate-relevant impacts of planned projects.
Whether here again an expensive bureaucratic monster is being created that costs more than it brings.
I think that in a country like Austria with now 1.6 million poor people, it would be high time.
These people would 'not benefit much from a Climate Check', so one must ask the question, 'whether we must first secure the foundation before we re-roof the house'.
If politics knew about the social impacts of laws and there was a focus on the direct protection of people, 'federal politics would not have made such a poor figure in the crisis and inflation years'.
With the 'Climate Check', we are creating an important and constructive building block in climate policy at the federal level.
It brings transparency about the impact of new laws on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon storage, and adaptability to climate change.
Thus, we ensure for the first time in the legislative process a well-founded basis for decision-making to assess the impacts on the climate.