851 kilometers as the crow flies separate Gmunden from the French capital Paris. The climate goals defined there – global warming should be limited to well below two degrees compared to pre-industrial values – are even further away. That should change gradually. Not only on the banks of Lake Traun, but also in Puchenau, Ried im Innkreis, Bad Schallerbach and Attersee. With the “Paris, we are coming” project, these five cities and municipalities are developing municipal climate strategies for the first time.
“We are heralding a new era in thinking. From now on, the participating cities and municipalities will budget annual funds for combating the climate crisis and for adapting to climate change in their sphere of influence,” says Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder (Greens).
The measures related to the topics of climate protection, soil protection, mobility and nutrition are being developed with specialist advisors from the Upper Austrian Climate Alliance, with the state contributing a maximum of 15,000 euros per municipality. As a result, operational timetables and implementation plans are to be drawn up within around nine months: including the comprehensive installation of PV systems, the expansion of cycle paths and micro public transport systems, and the revitalization of town centers. In the future, significantly more communities are to take part in the project – Kaineder says that the financing is still being worked on.
Source: Nachrichten
