Austrian village plays green gambit
Güssing, a town with a population of 4000 inhabitants, in the Burgenland, Austria, has made a declaration of energetic independence.
The town uses wood from the surrounding forests, converting it into gas, heat and electricity. Its electricity production will from now on exceed its domestic consumption and the town is now exporting throughout the region. A European centre for renewable energy was opened in 1996 to promote the "Güssing" model. This project, supported by the European Union, has signaled the creation of more than 1000 jobs in an area which was undergoing a number of financial difficulties.
Over 50 companies and 1.000 jobs have been created in in the renewable energy sector alone. Since 1995, the town has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 93%.
The mayor of Güssing, Peter Vadasz, said EU funding (€461.000) was an essential lever for triggering the additional national and regional funding needed to make this project happen.
The European Commission's website Inforegio
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Climate, Sustainable Finance Officer
