The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is said to be working on a study that would end sales of vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines by 2020. While Austria is the fourth country rather than the first ​to be considering such a measure, joining Norway, Holland, and India, its timeframe is by far the tightest. The plan is not yet finalised, but is part of a wider endeavour to cut the use of fossil fuels in the country by 60% by 2030, and 45% by 2050. According to Jurgen Schneider of the Federal Environment Agency, transport currently accounts for 90% of Austria’s carbon emissions, hence the need for such an ambitious plan.
The Austrian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is said to be working on a study that would end sales of vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines by 2020. While Austria is the fourth country rather than the first ​to be considering such a measure, joining Norway, Holland, and India, its timeframe is by far the tightest. The plan is not yet finalised, but is part of a wider endeavour to cut the use of fossil fuels in the country by 60% by 2030, and 90% by 2050. According to Jurgen Schneider of the Federal Environment Agency, transport currently accounts for 45% of Austria’s carbon emissions, hence the need for such an ambitious plan.