OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Austria 2013

This report is the third OECD review of Austria’s environmental performance. The report evaluates Austria's progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on chemicals management and climate change adaptation.

Contents:
General notes 11

Executive summary 13

PART I. PROGRESS TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1. Key environmental trends 19
- 1. Introduction 20
- 2. Transition to a low-carbon, energy- and resource-efficient economy 23
- 3. Managing the natural asset base 32
- 4. Improving the environmental quality of life 37
- References 41

Chapter 2. Policy-making environment 43
- Assessment and recommendations 44
- 1. Institutional framework for sustainable development and environmental management 46
- 2. Policy framework for sustainable development 48
- 3. Policy framework for environmental management 50
- 4. Environmental permitting, enforcement and compliance 56
- 5. Monitoring and evaluation of environmental policy 59
- 6. Promoting environmental democracy 61
- References 67

Chapter 3. Towards green growth 69
- Assessment and recommendations 70
- 1. Green growth initiatives 73
- 2. Greening the tax system 74
- 3. Removing environmentally perverse incentives 80
- 4. Better targeting environmentally motivated subsidies 83
- 5. Investing in the environment to promote green growth 87
- 6. Expanding environment-related markets and employment 91
- 7. Promoting environmental technology 94
- 8. Mainstreaming the environment in development co-operation 98
- References 101

PART II. PROGRESS TOWARDS SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES
Chapter 4. Chemicals management 107
- Assessment and recommendations 108
- 1. The chemicals industry in Austria 110
- 2. Policy-making framework 111
- 3. The institutional setting for chemicals management 114
- 4. Implementation of the REACH and CLP regulations 115
- 5. Biocidal products 120
- 6. Nanomaterials 121
- 7. Monitoring of hazardous substances 122
- 8. The pollutant release and transfer register 126
- 9. Chemical accidents 127
- 10. Green chemistry 128
- 11. International co-operation on chemicals management 131
- References 134

Chapter 5. Climate change adaptation and climate-related natural hazards 137
- Assessment and recommendations 138
- 1. Introduction 140
- 2. Current and predicted effects of climate in Austria 141
- 3. Policy and institutional framework 14
- 4. Finance for adaptation policies and measures 149
- 5. Mainstreaming adaptation 151
- 6. Monitoring and evaluation 155
- 7. International co-operation 156
- References 158

Annex I. Selected data 161
- I.A. Selected economic data 162
- I.B. Selected social data 165
- I.C. Selected environmental data 166

Annex II. Abbreviations 171

Website: OECD iLibrary http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/

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