Climate and Energy Fund
The Climate and Energy Fund is an Austrian public law fund with legal personality that finances climate protection measures and, as an instrument of the Austrian federal government, supports the implementation of the national climate and energy strategy .
history
The fund was launched in 2007 by the Gusenbauer Federal Government to support the implementation of a sustainable and climate-friendly energy supply. The funding strategy is based on the goals anchored in the Climate and Energy Fund Act:
- Increase in the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption in Austria
- Improvement in energy intensity
- Increasing security of supply and reducing imports of fossil energy
- Strengthening the development and dissemination of Austrian environmental and energy technology
- Intensification of climate and energy-related research
- Securing and expanding technology leadership .
In the period from 2007 to 2016, a funding volume of 1.1 billion euros was implemented and around 110,000 funding projects were carried out.
tasks
The Climate and Energy Fund supports the implementation of the goals of Austrian climate policy and the development of a sustainable energy system.
“ Zero emissions ” is the central concern of the Climate and Energy Fund, which is endowed with funds from the BMNT and the bmvit . New technologies and optimized energy applications, together with sustainable and emission-free domestic energy generation, should ensure that Austria becomes independent of oil and gas imports and that the requirements of the Paris Climate Conference are met.
The Climate and Energy Fund supports projects for the sustainable transformation of the energy and mobility system. Sustainability and efficiency are important cornerstones of all measures.
Legal framework
The Federal Law on the Establishment of the Climate and Energy Fund , or Climate and Energy Fund Law for short, aims to make a contribution to the implementation of a sustainable energy supply (increasing energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewable energy sources ) as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the Austrian climate strategy afford to.
The objectives are pursued through the granting of funding, the placing of orders and the financing of measures of existing relevant financing instruments (§3).
To meet these goals, the fund draws
- Contributions from the Austrian federal budget. In 2007 these amounted to € 50 million and in 2008 to € 150 million;
- Other public and private grants;
- Income from invested funds and
- Other revenue.
organization
The structure of the Climate and Energy Fund at a glance:
Bureau
The highest body of the Climate and Energy Fund is the Presidium. In addition to the decision on the funding of projects, the placing of orders and the granting of funding for measures, the Executive Committee is responsible for the organization. The Presidium is responsible for the staffing of the management and the expert advisory board, as well as for the control of the proper investment and use of the fund assets. The Executive Committee also decides on the annual program.
The Presidium of the Climate and Energy Fund includes the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) or a delegated representative of the Ministry.
The chairmanship of the Presidium changes annually between the two members. Resolutions are passed unanimously. Abstentions and resolutions in writing are permitted.
Managing directors
The managing director is jointly responsible for representing the climate and energy fund externally as well as managing the business and the legally binding subscription for the climate and energy fund. Theresia Vogel and Ingmar Höbarth head the climate and energy fund.
Employees
In addition to the two managing directors, eighteen employees currently work for the Climate and Energy Fund.
Settlement centers
The Climate and Energy Fund is supported by processing offices for the efficient operational processing of the granting of funding and the placing of orders.
These are currently:
- the Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft mbH (aws): AWS is the development bank of the federal government. The tasks of the aws are the awarding and processing of company-related federal economic subsidies as well as the provision of other financing and consulting services in the public interest to support the economy.
- the Austrian Research Promotion Agency mbH (FFG) FFG is the national funding institution for industrial research in Austria. The FFG supports Austrian companies, research institutions and researchers with a comprehensive range of grants and services and represents Austrian interests on a European and international level.
- Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH (KPC): KPC supports various program lines in the implementation and management. Essentially, KPC specializes in the areas of development, implementation and management of funding programs, especially in the area of environmental and climate protection, as well as the international carbon market.
- The rail infrastructure service company mbH (SchiG mbH): The SCHIG mbH is a federal company that supports the transport policy objectives of the Republic of Austria. The cooperation with the Climate and Energy Fund essentially comprises the examination and control of the use of funds in the transport sector.
subjects
The services of the Climate and Energy Fund are divided into four main areas:
energy transition
A whole series of measures has this goal in focus: subsidies for solar and photovoltaics , thermal insulation in the private sector and in companies, waste heat utilization and the search for ways to better store renewable energies .
Mobility revolution
The further technical development of e-mobility , for example by extending the battery range and service life, forms an important pillar. The other, equally important pillar is to create a transport infrastructure in which sustainable mobility is promoted rather than hindered.
Climate change
With funding programs for research, development and market penetration, the Climate and Energy Fund tries to develop broad-based solutions for climate protection and thus actively support the implementation of the goals of domestic climate policy .
awareness raising
According to its own statements, it is important for the Climate and Energy Fund to motivate people instead of patronizing them. A number of programs and publications attempt to address this.
Web pages
supporting documents
- ↑ a b Federal Act on the Establishment of the Climate and Energy Fund - Climate and Energy Fund Act (KLI.EN-FondsG) . In: BGBl . I No. 40/2007 . Vienna July 6, 2007 ( online in the federal legal information system ).
- ↑ a b About us. In: Website of the Climate and Energy Fund. Retrieved September 11, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Our topics. In: Website of the Climate and Energy Fund. Retrieved September 11, 2018 .
- ↑ structure. In: Website of the Climate and Energy Fund. Retrieved February 2, 2020 .