The Upper Austrian district of Braunau becomes happy, resource-efficient, low-carbon - and remains economically successful

As part of a Climate-KIC research project, a strategy will be developed by the end of 2019 to meet the climate change-related challenges of the Braunau region. Together with the initiative planetYES and in cooperation with regioHELP we are envisioning a happy future with local and regional representatives from politics, business, agriculture, education, ecology and civil society.

What are the most important climate issues in the Braunau region? How can the ecological footprint and CO2 emissions be reduced? What opportunities are offered by circular economy, resource efficiency and climate change adaptation? These are the key questions of the research project, which also has a social component: How can Braunau develop into a region where people live and work in good health, satisfied and in balance with local and global resources?

Challenges for the region: Braunau’s industry is booming. However, this good news is also accompanied by a shortage of skilled workers, which in turn results in labor migration and population growth. In the medium and long term, the district faces global challenges: climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, soil erosion, water and resource scarcity, … These trends, along with increasing digitalization and isolated lifestyles, can lead to inequality and issues such as anxiety, burnout and depression. At the same time, they offer a wide range of opportunities.

Contents of the project:

  • Representative online consumer survey on the regional Footprint including data on socio-economic factors such as income, life satisfaction and jobs
  • Survey of the ecological footprint of the regional economy and agriculture
  • Presentation of the potential impacts on people and the environment (health, carbon emissions, resources, soil, etc.) of the region
  • Identification of the most important topics and trends
  • Development of a possible strategy for a happy, low carbon and resource efficient Braunau region

Project Team

SERI; DREISEITLwesearch; planetYES GmbH; Footprint Consult, Chalmers Tekniska Hogskola

Regional Project Partner

regioHELP eGmBH

Project Management

Dr. Friedrich Hinterberger | SERI

Project Duration

August to December 2019

Funded by