The government program of the three-person coalition of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS remains owe in many ways in terms of soil protection and does not do justice to the urgency of the problem overall: under 28 points examined there are only seven “new and positive” projects, as a current assessment of the environmental protection organization WWF shows. The majority of the points (17) have only vaguely promise to date. The WWF rates four other planned projects as “clearly negative”. “The soil protection has been anchored several times in the program, but it is not yet clear how the federal government actually wants to achieve its goals. Overall, there is a lot of room for improvement”, says WWF floor protection spokesman Simon Pories. According to the current calculations of the WWF, soil consumption is still far too high: in 2024, despite the economically weak construction industry, around 25 square kilometers of soil were used up. “We will measure the coalition to whether it gives soil protection the necessary priority. Especially in times of the climate crisis, intact, unobstructed soils are indispensable as the basis for our health, security and quality of life,” says Simon Pories.
28 floor-relevant points in the check
In total, the WWF identified 28 “floor-relevant” measures in the new government program. For example, potential progress would be the stronger spatial planning at the state level and promised soil protection measures in financial equalization. “Building on the green meadow must no longer be attractive. Instead, the town cores and the interior development have to be supported. This also requires financial incentives in the financial equalization and in the tax system. All of this has to become concrete,” says Simon Pories from the WWF. The planned “dedication” also has potential and should therefore be used for active soil protection, for example for reverse seals or reverse dedications.
As a “clear step back”, the WWF primarily assesses the planned forcing of road construction. “New motorways and expressways are scientifically proven to create more traffic again and sabotage the climate and soil protection goals,” explains Simon Pories. According to the current environmental report, the Lobau motorway alone would be lost around 130 hectares of agricultural areas. The WWF also sees the desired acceleration of construction processes. “This is threatening to undermine important environmental standards under the guise of simplification,” warns Pories.
Current figures: soil consumption well over government destination
In the ten-year average (2015-2024), soil consumption in Austria is around 11 hectares per day. In the previous year alone, around 25 square kilometers of soil were used up, as WWF calculations based on data from the Federal Office for Eich and Surveying show. This year alone, almost seven hectares (6.74) were lost in valuable green spaces and arable land – around half of which were completely sealed. “In 2024, an area was re-installed and sealed, which roughly corresponds to the Traunsee. Austria continues to waste valuable soils and is therefore far above the promised 2.5 hectare destination”,SAMT WWF EXPERTE SIMON PORIES.
The fact that the built -in and sealed areas overall increased less than before is strongly due to the economy: “Due to the false focus of the construction industry on new buildings on new buildings on the ‘green meadow’, the decline of orders also clearly affects soil consumption. However, there are still large structural deficits in the preventive soil protection. Due to its alpine topography, Austria would have to deal particularly economically with the finite resource soil”, says Simon Pories from the WWF.
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