Austria is scaling back its commitment to climate research funding, a move that is raising concerns among scientists and policymakers about the country’s future role in addressing climate change. A significant reduction in funding for the Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP) has been implemented, with the 2025 allocation slashed to €2 million, down from €5 million in previous years. This comes as Austria grapples with its longest recession since World War II, prompting a prioritization of fiscal stability.
The cuts, which impact funding for projects at the intersection of research and application, are described by Gerhard Wotawa, Chairman of the Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA), as akin to a “slash” rather than a measured reduction. Wotawa noted that Austria had previously been a “trendsetter” in Europe in this area, with ACRP-funded projects often leading to success in competitive EU funding schemes. The reduction in funding is particularly concerning given the increasing urgency of addressing climate change impacts.
The ACRP is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, currently under Minister Norbert Totschnig of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). Previously, responsibility for these agendas rested with the Ministry of Infrastructure under Leonore Gewessler of the Green Party.
The funding reduction directly impacts the ability to translate scientific findings into practical applications. The ACRP was instrumental in producing the “Austrian Assessment Report to Climate Change” (AAR2), which detailed the impacts of rising temperatures – Austria has already warmed by an average of 3.1 degrees Celsius since 1900 – and the need for substantial investment to avoid critical system failures. Current work focuses on developing regional climate scenarios extending to the year 2100, crucial for future infrastructure planning.
Wotawa emphasized the importance of this work, stating, “We need to prepare,” and warned that the ability to disseminate these findings to a wider audience is now at risk. The calculation of the scenarios themselves is not immediately threatened, but the process of translating them into actionable information is.
Beyond the ACRP, the future of the annual “Climate Day,” the most important meeting for the Austrian climate research community, is also uncertain. Wotawa expressed concern that Austria is reversing course on climate funding, stating, “We are very concerned that Austria here is reducing the funds.”
The Climate and Energy Fund, which distributes these funds – receiving the majority of its budget from the Ministries of Infrastructure, Economy, and Agriculture – currently has limited information regarding the 2026 budget and potential ACRP funding for this year. A statement from the fund indicated that the “annual program is currently being coordinated.” Funding for other related programs, ACRP Implementation (ACRPI) and StartClim, has also been delayed, leaving researchers with only €2 million retroactively for the previous year, compared to a total of €7 million in 2024.
The cuts stem from a review of funding landscapes conducted by the Ministries of Economy and Agriculture in 2025, which identified potential savings. Numerous programs administered by the Climate and Energy Fund were unable to launch due to outstanding budget allocations from the two ministries. These affected programs focused on climate research, climate change adaptation, and the mitigation of climate change consequences.
Austria’s long-term climate strategy, established in 2020, initially aimed for climate neutrality by 2050, but the government program agreed upon that same year advanced the target to 2040. However, the 2011 Climate Change Act lacks specific targets or emissions limits beyond 2020, and a revision announced in 2020 remains pending. This lack of a current legislative framework, coupled with the recent funding cuts, raises questions about Austria’s commitment to achieving its ambitious climate goals.
A recent study by EcoAustria highlighted the economic benefits of climate adaptation measures, estimating potential reductions in economic damage from climate impacts, the creation of up to 26,000 additional jobs, a 2.1% increase in net hourly wages, and an annual GDP increase of €13 billion. The study also suggested a decrease in the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points and an improvement in the public primary balance by €3.5 billion. Without adaptation measures, annual climate damage could reach up to €10.8 billion by 2050, assuming a 2°C global warming scenario.
The cuts to climate funding come after Austria slashed climate change subsidies in January 2025, eliminating around 20% of these subsidies as part of a €6.4 billion budget-saving plan. This included a €1.6 billion cut to carbon tax compensations for households and a €500 million reduction in subsidies for emissions-free technologies. These cuts targeted initiatives previously championed by the former conservative-green coalition government.
