by Bruce Murray, Professor and Director of Illinois in Vienna Programs, retired.As I write these lines in July 2023, a little more than six years remain to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50%, as prescribed by the Paris Agreement. The European Union (EU) has adopted five more pieces of its “Fit for 55” package, including the groundbreaking Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The United States (US) is implementing its Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) with unprecedented provisions for the transition to a renewable energy economy, and the Biden administration strives to further limit combustion engine and coal power plant emissions, as well as introducing carbon pricing for methane gas. Meanwhile, the world climate clock keeps ticking, and the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 Synthesis Report warns of unavoidable and irreversible consequences if we do not further accelerate our efforts to mitigate climate change quickly.
Against that backdrop, 14 students from Europe and the US offer their policy statements for accelerating climate change mitigation with bold action in the EU, US, and globally. They focus our attention on sectoral, as well as business monitoring-standard, conflict-area reconstruction, and educational approaches, proposing action capable of helping us turn the corner on GHG emissions by 2030. Their proposals deserve our close attention.
In the context of their work in a course on EU and US Climate Change Mitigation during the spring of 2023 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, these guest experts expanded the students’ knowledge base and provided invaluable insights:
- Christina Voigt, UNFCCC PAICC Co-Chair (video)
- Günter Hörmandinger, EUC Secretariat General Senior Expert (video)
- Stephan Renner, Austrian Ministry for Climate Action Cabinet Member
- Claudia Kettner, Austrian Institute of Economic Research Senior Economist (slide presentation)
- Fritz Bachmair, Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund
- Dominik Zotti, Co-Founder, AxessImpact (slide presentation)
- Raimund Mair, Senior Water Resource Management Specialist, World Bank Group in Vienna (slide presentation)
- Dr. Alexander Frech, President, Energy Globe Foundation and Partner, Aeiphoria Capital (slide presentation)
- Charles Berckmann, Senior Finance Manager, bettervest (slide presentation)
So, too, did field study visits at select sites where state of the art renewable energy and energy conservation projects exemplify the potential for catalyzing climate change mitigation:
- Vienna University of Economics and Business campus
- Wien Energie Waste Incineration Plant (slide presentation)
1. Sectoral approaches, representing the top five emission sectors
- Transportation William Ahern proposes legislative options to improve e-mobility charging infrastructure with a focus on the number of stations and their location, as well as the charge time and cost. Nicholas Skowron posits legislative change and educational measures to improve public transportation, especially in urban settings. Dylan Kanner broadens the scope with proposals for the EU and US to accelerate the transition to e-mobility with enhanced carbon pricing and utilizing the generated revenue to incentivize corporate investment.
- Electricity Nicholas Elfering highlights prospects for moving beyond the estimated 40% GHG emission reduction associated with IRA implementation, reaching 50% by declaring a National Climate Emergency and allocating Department of Defense resources to address what he describes as our greatest national security threat.
- Industry Liam Cooley casts the well-developed and expanding EU Emissions Trading System as a model for a similar US system as an effective means to limit industrial GHG emissions.
- Housing Luis Eguiguran promotes the U.S. transition to mixed-use urban development, prevalent in the European Union, citing a growing number of examples in US cities, and encouraging more ambitious federal and other legislative initiatives to expand the scope nationally,
- Agriculture Molly Boyd asserts the need for more regenerative agriculture and methane management to reach US Paris Agreement goals. She proposes implementing techniques that could lead to significant progress by 2030.
Lou Ellstrand posits a standardized US government Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scoring system to reduce greenwashing and maximize its benefit for GHG emissions reductions. Hannah Gallainitis proposes redesigning carbon markets to incentivize emissions reduction with five core carbon principles, foremost among them transparency, integrity, inclusivity, and international collaboration/ coordination. Zsófia Győrfi identifies the potential benefits and costs of deglobalizing the world economy, recommending international carbon-pricing systems and utilizing the revenue to support decarbonization in the global south. Gustav Klaphake focuses attention on the EU Carbon Adjustment Mechanism and advocates in favor of expanding it with international collaboration to incentivize global GHG emissions. Timoteus Kraml envisions a Sector-specific Carbon Emissions Reduction Ranking and Incentives Program that could be adopted at the national level and offer participants tax incentives for higher-ranking performance.
3. Ecological Conflict Area Reconstruction
Artur Balakin, a Ukrainian citizen, envisions the ecological reconstruction of conflict areas all over the world, selects the Donbas region as a case study, and suggests initiatives for industry and housing, transport, and energy production.
4. Education
Anna Fischer, whose policy statement won an award at the 2023 KURIER Speak Out Festival, proposes the introduction of climate change as a dedicated subject in EU education in elementary, secondary, and higher education.
As you read the policy statements, consider other options to group them. Also, contemplate the effect of implementing their proposals by 2030. Above all, use them as a catalyst for your own recommendations for the big and bold action we need now!
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