Climate · emissions beyond borders
Austria causes more emissions abroad than at home
Emissions from Austrian consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Austria. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are rising. Climate targets don't count them.
- The footprint of Austria is 40–51 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 63–66 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 56–59 percent in 2010. In every model that has been more than half since the figures begin.
- Official emissions fell by 14 percent between 2010 and 2022; the footprint only by 2–3 percent.
- Per person, Austria causes 10.5 tonnes, more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 4 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint fell by 7 percent, slower than in most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it fell by 7 percent, slower than in most EU countries.
- Outside Austria, most emissions for Austrian consumption are released in China, Germany and Russia.
- Austria imports more emissions than it exports: 36–38 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 31 percent (real); the emissions for it fell by 2 percent.
- Satellites see more methane over Austria than the country reports: 1.7× the reported amount (2023).
In short
Emissions caused by Austrian consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Austrian territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 14 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint fell by 2–3 percent over the same years. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Austria compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Austria causes 10.5 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), more than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 4 of 27.
Checked from space
Satellites measure how much methane hangs in the air. From that, scientists can work back to how much a country emits. That puts an independent measurement next to the official figures.
Where the emissions occur
For Austrian consumption, most emissions abroad occur in China, followed by Germany, Russia and Poland. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Austria emits for
In 2022, 33–35 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Austria for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 68–73 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Austrian consumption. That makes Austria a net importer of emissions: 36–38 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Austria than the other way round.
How we calculate
A footprint follows every euro that households, government and companies spend on final products back through the supply chain, to the country where the emissions occur. So-called input-output models do this, built on trade statistics and emission inventories from dozens of countries.