The Austrian Climate and Energy Fund can once again look forward to a record budget in 2021. 217 million euros will flow into the implementation of climate-impacting projects with immediate effect. Money that is important right now to boost the crisis-ridden economy. Theresia Vogel and Ingmar Höbarth, managing directors of the Climate and Energy Fund, are correspondingly pleased: “Thanks to the green stimulus package, we have a unique opportunity to quickly bring climate protection innovations to the people. Our goal is to support the domestic economy on its way to a climate-friendly future and to make regions fit for a new energy and mobility system.” Above all, he said, the Climate and Energy Fund is the right partner to quickly bring these goals of the green climate protection package into implementation and achieve climate impact. “With the new record budget, even more climate-friendly projects can be launched this year,” said Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler. In 2021, the Climate Fund is therefore focusing on completely new programs in addition to its proven funding formats. For example, mission-oriented, technology-open competitions are considered a novel innovation policy approach for promoting disruptive innovations that can be used to address the climate crisis. Another focus of the fund is on cities and their path to the future.
The Climate and Energy Fund expects a real boom for decentralized renewable energy supply from the “Renewable Expansion Act”: for the first time, non-energy suppliers will be able to produce, store, trade and consume electricity and heat across property boundaries. The Fund is therefore launching new funding programs in 2021 to support the establishment and operation of renewable energy communities. “Now, local people finally have the opportunity to supply themselves with clean energy and, what’s more, they can become power plants for their surroundings,” says Ingmar Höbarth. “We know from our climate and energy model regions: The enthusiasm in the regions for this topic is there. We now want to turn this into a success story for climate protection.” The Federal Government’s Climate and Energy Fund is endowed with funds from the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection and from European funding pots.
Currently open programs for private individuals in the Climate and Energy Fund
Solar systems: funding campaign for the installation of solar thermal systems for water heating and heating. www.solaranlagen.klimafonds.gv.at
E-mobility for private individuals: funding for the purchase of electric vehicles for private use. www.emob.klimafonds.gv.at
Photovoltaic systems: Funding is available for newly installed photovoltaic systems operated in parallel with the grid. www.pv.klimafonds.gv.at
Information on subsidies and submission options: www.klimafonds.gv.at/ausschreibungen
