11 Jürgen Schneider (Environment Agency Austria) Western Balkans Climate Resilience Workshop, Vienna, May 11th 2016 The national adaptation policy process in Austria Activities, status, performance, and lessons learnt

22 Content The Federal Environment Agency Austria The Austrian Adaptation Policy – Overview and lessons learned Planned project to support Western Balkan Countries in Measurement-Reporting-Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and other climate related topics

33 Umweltbundesamt 3 Umweltbundesamt is Austria’s largest organisation of experts on all environmental issues As an independent partner, we are working to build bridges between the economy, science and politics at national and international level With more than 450 experts in 55 academic disciplines we are a leading provider of environmental solutions

44 Expertise and Services of the Federal Environment Agency Governance and policy support Capacity building Decision support tools, adaptation communication Monitoring & Evaluation and reporting (European and international requirements, e.g. MRR, UNFCCC)

55 Global and Austrian mean average temperature

66 Scenario # days > 30°C

77 Overview of Austrian policy on CC adaptation Start: 2007 (initial impulses by the Kyoto Forum, preparatory work) Political mandate: goal in the federal government program (incl. involvement of stakeholders & the public) and (for implementation & evaluation) Main responsibility, process owner: Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management Support unit: Environment Agency Austria Adoption: Council of Ministers in October 2012

88 NAS development ( ): Process design Scientific and expert studies (vulnerability assessments, proposals for adaptation options) agriculture, forestry, water, tourism, energy, biodiversity,…… Informal workshop series Participation process Online consultation of broad public Results Policy Paper 3 written consultation rounds Part 1: Context Part 2: Action Plan 

99 Stakeholder participation process Conducted by the Environment Agency Austria in close cooperation with responsible Ministry and Kyoto Forum (steering group) 16 workshops from institutions (>670 persons) actively involved Rough composition of participants (state actors, organized public): 1/3 federal ministries, provincial authorities, large businesses / service providers (owned by government) 1/3 organized interest groups: social partners, chambers, etc. 1/3 social/environmental NGOs, civil society organizations, private companies (e.g. insurances) Objectives:  Raise awareness, sensitize  Provide a platform for exchange  Foster transparent decision- making  Improve the NAS/NAP quality  Enhance the acceptance  Facilitate the implementation

10 National Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan Part I: Strategic framework and context Including: policy objectives, guiding principles, prioritization criteria, cross-cutting recommendations for implementation, social aspects Part II: Action Plan 14 activity fields (sectors) 132 recommendations for action High level of concreteness, specifies many concrete starting points for implementation (bundles of measures / further steps per recommended action, instruments)

11 Some characteristics (relevant for implementation) NAP supports horizontal integration (mainstreaming): Cross-sector relations and conflict potentials identified (but resolving trade-offs is out of scope) Entry points (e.g. instruments) and actors for cooperation in other sectors/policies identified Recommendations/measures are often cross-cutting Implementing actors identified, but not assigned Criteria for prioritizing actions provided, but setting priorities is part of the implementation process (risk of “candy store dilemma”?) Resource needs estimated in qualitative terms, but quantification & allocation part of follow-up phase General statement on financing: within existing public budgets and standard budgetary mechanisms; public-private burden-sharing

12 Political adoption of the Austrian NAS  approved by the Austrian Council of Ministers on Oct. 23 rd 2012  taken note of by the provinces („Landeshauptleutekonferenz“) on May 16th 2013 Download: kontext.html

13 Monitoring and Evaluation: 1 st Progress Report Goals and purpose overview on implementation progress based on NAS and NAP identify adaptation gaps and further needs key trends of impacts/vulnerabilities basis for revision of the strategy added value for all concerned stakeholders Source: de.123rf.com Progress Report adopted Sept. 2015

14 Overall monitoring approach Self- assessment Criteria catalogue Overall view on the implementation of the NAS and the progress of adaptation Participatory approach Data based approach NAP with 14 activity fields (sectors), goals and measures Twofold approach

15 Next steps: overcoming challenges Substantial progress in adaptation policy-making in Austria (national level and ongoing diffusion to provincial states), knowledge base building and information provision, but.. Mainstreaming on all levels: political commitment and priority on all levels Different priorities in federal, provincial, local levels Improving implementation capacities: financing, staff, know-how, skills, tools, consulting,.. Private/autonomous adaptation NAS Update and advancement of the NAS (until mid 2016) Awareness raising / “Enable to act”

16 Planned project to support Western Balkan Countries in CC activities Austria will also provide direct support via capacity building projects for the Western Balkan Countries, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia Hercegovina and Kosovo, implemented by the Environment Agency Austria 250 k in 2016, with a view to enhance volume and duration (possibly in cooperation with GIZ and Energy Community) Workshop in Vienna in early June to select areas where benefit for Western Balkan Countries is maximized Focus on GHG emission inventories, support for preparing reports, such as the National Communications and the Biennial Update reports

17 Contact & Information Juergen Schneider P: Umweltbundesamt Vienna ■ May 2016