In the 1960s the Austrian government started a nuclear-energy program and parliament unanimously ordered a nuclear power-plant built. In 1972, the German company KWU began construction of the Zwentendorf Nuclear Power Plant boiling-water 700 MWe reactor. In 1976, two years prior to the nuclear power-plant opening, the government began a program to educate its citizens on the benefits and safety of nuclear power. However, this campaign began a public discussion that led to large demonstrations against the Zwentendorf plant in 1977.[1]
On 15 December 1978, the Austrian Parliament voted in favor of a ban (BGBI. No. 676) on using nuclear fission for Austria’s energy supply until March 1998. This law also prohibits the storage and transport of nuclear materials in or through Austria.[2] Nuclear energy continued to be debated in Austria, with some politicians seeking to reverse the nuclear-energy ban. However, after the 1986 Chernobyl accident, attempts to reverse the ban subsided.[3] On 9 July 1997, the Austrian Parliament unanimously passed legislation to remain an anti-nuclear country.[4]
In 2012, Austria called on Europe to abandon nuclear power.[5] Austria has particularly sought to pressure the Czech Republic to dismantle the Temelin nuclear power-plant near the Austrian border.[5] The Czech Republic has defended the nuclear power-plant as safe and better than alternatives such as dependence on coal, gas, and oil.[5]
In 2022, Austria filed a legal challenge to prevent the European Union from including nuclear energy as a category of green investment.[6] Leonore Gewessler, Austria's Federal Minister for Climate Protection, said it was "greenwashing".[7] Defenders of the categorization see nuclear energy, which produces low carbon-emissions relative to many energy sources, as key to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.[8]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Referenda and Nuclear Power Plants – A Historical Overview". Greenpeace. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
- ^ "Austria: First country with official anti-nuclear policy". Wise – Nuclear issues information service. 19 December 1997. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
- ^ Müller, Wolfgang C.; Thurner, Paul W., eds. (2017). "5. Austria: Rejecting Nuclear Energy—From Party Competition Accident to State Doctrine". The Politics of Nuclear Energy in Western Europe. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198747031.001.0001.
- ^ "Coalition of Nuclear-Free Countries: Anti-nuclear resolution of the Austrian Parliament". WISE News Communique. 16 September 1997. Archived from the original on 23 February 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-19.
- ^ a b c "Austria and Czech Republic divided over nuclear power". BBC News. 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ Tidey, Alice (2022-10-10). "Austria launches legal case over EU's 'greenwashing' of nuclear & gas". euronews. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ Tidey, Alice (2022-10-10). "Austria launches legal case over EU's 'greenwashing' of nuclear & gas". euronews. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- ^ Williams, Matthias; Abnett, Kate (2022-10-10). "Austria seeks allies for legal challenge to EU green investment rules". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-10-21.