THE PLANET vs. Austria
Our Legal Action
In 2023, AllRise filed a state liability claim with the Constitutional Court against the federal government and the federal states of Lower and Upper Austria. The claim challenges their failure to curb excessive land consumption and enforce soil protection measures. The legislature can be held liable for damages caused by unlawful or negligent inaction.
Unchecked land sealing destroys habitats, reduces farmland, increases flood risks, and worsens climate impacts, threatening communities, biodiversity, and public health. In addition to these environmental and social consequences, estimates suggest that inaction could cost taxpayers €4–9 billion by 2030 in emissions-related obligations — illustrating the high stakes of failing to protect Austria’s land.
Through this action, we aim to compel Austria to adopt a comprehensive soil protection strategy and align national policies with EU climate and biodiversity targets, ensuring that both ecosystems and people are safeguarded for generations to come.
We won’t let our future be paved over
Austria has one of the highest land-consumption rates in Europe, sealing around 11 hectares per day, over four times the national target. Every day, fertile soils are paved over for roads, shopping centers, and housing developments, often far beyond what is necessary. This loss of land destroys habitats, increases flood risks, and undermines food security by reducing the area available for agriculture.
Despite government targets to reduce land take, the reality remains far above safe limits. Austria is losing its most productive soils at a pace that will shape communities, ecosystems, and future generations for decades to come.
Political action has lagged for years, despite the well-documented environmental, social, and economic consequences. At AllRise, we believe protecting land is protecting the climate. That’s why we are taking legal action to hold the Austrian government accountable for its failure to prevent excessive land consumption.
Facts and figures
On land use in Austria
1
Austria's land sealing rate is among the highest in Europe, with approximately 2.35% of its total land area sealed. This rate surpasses the EU average of 2.0% and is more than double the global average of 1.0%.
2
On average, Austria consumes over 11 hectares of land daily, equating to approximately 16 football fields. This rate is over four times the government's target of 2.5 hectares per day.
3
As of 2022, around 52% of the utilized land area in Austria was sealed, which translates to approximately 2,964 square kilometers.
4
Approximately 30% of Austria’s land area is used for agriculture, which is under threat from sealing and land take.
5
Failure to meet EU climate targets could cost taxpayers several billion euros for the purchase of climate protection certificates.
A Way forward
Effective land protection requires both political will and legal action. We advocate for regional planning that sets clear settlement boundaries and devolves competencies to districts or states, ensuring that new zoning of building land is balanced by the re-zoning of land elsewhere. We support better utilization of existing building land to prevent further soil sealing, alongside incentives for the thermal renovation and sustainable expansion of existing buildings. Spatial planning should be adapted to reduce land sealing, address vacancy, and promote the reuse and renovation of old structures, creating a more sustainable and efficient approach to land use.