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Kyoto Protocol target hard to meet for Austria: report
June-2-2010

Though it is possible for Austria to achieve the EU climate target for 2020, it still faces difficulties in meeting the emission reduction target set by the Kyoto Protocol, a new report said.

In 2008, greenhouse gases emissions in Austria amounted to 88.6 million tons of CO2, 17.9 tons more than what the Kyoto Protocol has proposed, according to the Austrian Climate Protection Report 2010 released on Monday.

Although the country's industrial and transport emissions should have been significantly reduced in 2009 amid the economic crisis, Austrian experts are still skeptical over whether Austria could meet the goal set in the Kyoto Protocol by 2013, it said.

However, the report said Austria is still possible to reduce CO2 emissions by 16 percent, a target proposed in the EU climate package by 2020, with additional measures in the transport and domestic heating sectors.

It also said "vehicles must be more efficient, and the development of fuel-saving cars and electrical mobility must be accelerated."

In addition, the report said public transport must be strengthened and buildings renovation should be thermally modernized.