Oida!

I’m Dayana Caicedo

I’m going to talk about Austria and its relationship with the environment.

Austria is one of the leading countries in Europe in the field of environmental policy,
accordingly the environmental protection has become an important item. In Austria are
very stringent with the measures aimed at protecting the environment.

Some things Austria has done:

They implemented the EU Water Framework Directive; the water quality of Austria’s lakes
was raised to excellent levels.

They attach vital importance to safeguarding and improving the protective function of
forests.

Political:

Aarhus Convention: make information available to the public and to provide a

comprehensive, computer-based information network for the collection of data on
environmental protection.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Act of 2005: it provides for the assessment of
direct and indirect effects planned projects may have on humans, animals and the
environment

The Stockholm Conference: Founded the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), it
serves as an important driver in global environmental protection.

The Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992), the Convention on Biological

Diversity (1993) and the Convention to Combat Desertification (1994): They are important
United Nations environmental agreements with concepts of sustainable development and
green economy.

Kyoto Protocol: Reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions are contained in industrialized
countries.

Paris Agreement: They want hold global warming to well below 2° C, preferably to 1.5° C
above preindustrial levels, starting from 2021.

Aichi-goals: Worldwide protection the diversity in the realms of plants, animals and
ecosystems.

the Montreal Protocol: They contributed to the reduction of ozone depleting substances.

The Basel (1989), Rotterdam (1998) and Stockholm (2001) Conventions: These deal with
various aspects of the international management of hazardous chemicals.

The International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species: They protect endangered

animal and plant species by limiting or prohibiting the import and export of specimens and
products thereof.
the Alpine Convention: They want the protection and sustainable development of the
sensitive alpine space.

the International Commission: Protection for the River Danube.

Austria is also party to further multilateral agreements which deal with matters such as
transboundary effects of industrial accidents, access to information and public participation
in environmental matters, environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context,
long-range transboundary air pollution, the protection of transboundary watercourses and
international lakes, of wetlands of international importance especially as waterfowl habitat
and on the protection of migratory species.

Agriculture:

Austrian agriculture has been consistently geared towards high quality and healthy
products through a exacting agri-environmental programme. Austria are still free from
genetically modified organisms.

Transit Traffic:

Austria joined the EU to liberalize access to the nation’s highways with a alternative
approaches which are tunnel systems, traffic limitations and public support of
transportation of goods or vehicles on trains.

Industrial Pollution & Radioactivity:

Industrial pollution has been a problem for a long time, around 200 years. Austria had
suffered damaged like acid rain, the Chernobyl incidence and Pollution. Austria is still
affected, but now it’s remains free of nuclear power plants. They renounced the use of
nuclear energy by adopting the Federal Constitutional Act for a Non-Nuclear Austria.

Environmental Organizations & Lobbies:

Austria has a variety of environmental organizations and lobbies. The most active are
national branches of international organizations which applies to Greenpeace. And "Transit
forum Austria Tirol" which targets primarily the transit traffic across the Tyrolian Alps and
concerned pollution