Austria's Climate Protection Municipalities 2010

10/19/2010Wien

Auersbach, Murau und Thalgau are "Austria's Climate Protection Municipalities 2010".

Auersbach: "Auersbach Sustainable Lifestyle"

In the municipality of Auersbach, public, entrepreneurial and private initiatives ensure a role model function in climate protection issues. Auersbach demonstrates how an integral and successful development is possible if the aspect of regionality is exploited and an example set for a more respectful handling of resources. Thus, in the municipality of Auersbach, it was recognized early on: "The closer the point of product creation, the shorter the transportation distance." For this reason, it is especially the regional products that are promoted alongside the public transport. Thanks to diverse operations and a bio gasworks, Auersbach is already now more than 80 percent energy self-sufficient in terms of both electricity and heating. Above all it was the "embedding in an energy concept/program" and the "regional embedding" of the project that most convinced the jury.

Murau: "Municipality with Independent Electricity and Heat Generation"

Recent decades have seen the municipality of Murau take control of its own electricity production. With the "Murau Municipal Works" operation, it has managed to generate almost 100 percent of Murau’s electricity requirement from hydropower by means of two power plants. The next step is going ahead with the construction of a district heating plant. All of the municipality’s public buildings, such as schools, the town hall and municipal housing, are already being heated with biomass. A concept employing electricity generation from wood gasification is envisaged for the winter half year.
It was especially for the "energy efficiency and emissions reduction", as well as the "embedding in an energy concept/program", that the jury awarded Murau the greatest number of points in its category.