At a discussion on industrial strategy, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer announced that he no longer wants to pursue climate policy at any electricity price. Representatives from industry, consulting, and the Chamber of Labour also emphasized the importance of affordable electricity prices and a just energy transition.
Vienna, 17 June 2026
At a panel discussion on industrial strategy in Vienna, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer announced that he wants to put an end to climate policy "at any electricity price."
Speaking on Tuesday at a panel discussion on the government's industrial strategy, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer said he wanted to "end climate policy at any electricity price." The goal, he explained, according to the available reports, was to bring economic policy "back to the center of public discourse."
With the industrial strategy, the government is linking several measures to strengthen competitiveness. These include the already announced one-percent reduction in non-wage labor costs and an industrial electricity price, which is to be introduced by the end of the year. In addition, an electricity cost compensation law is planned for companies subject to EU emissions trading.
From an energy policy perspective, what is needed above all is "massive electrification in all sectors," which can only succeed if electricity prices remain affordable. This was emphasized by participants in the discussion, which also included representatives of the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK) and the energy group Verbund.
Christa Schlager, head of the Economic Policy Department at the Vienna Chamber of Labour, pointed to the importance of the labor market. The energy transition had to be "thought through together with the workforce," she said. This picks up on the concept of so-called "Just Transition" – that is, a "fair" shaping of the transformation in which society as a whole is involved.
From the perspective of a consultant invited to the event as an expert, there is also good news: "Die gute Nachricht ist, dass man durch den Erneuerbaren-Ausbau die Strompreise dämpfen kann". According to this view, the expansion of renewable energies is "so etwas wie eine Versicherung gegen hohe Strompreise, insbesondere während einer Energiekrise".
The head of the energy group Verbund, Michael Strugl, placed the debate in a broader context. "Fakt ist aber, dass die Klimaveränderung passiert und Fakt ist, dass sie uns Milliarden kostet", said the Verbund CEO. According to this view, the consequences of climate change are an independent financial burden, independent of the costs of the energy transition.
During the discussion, it was also pointed out that Austria faces international comparative pressure when it comes to expanding renewable energies. Competitors such as the USA and China, it was said, are investing heavily in their own locations and energy infrastructure. An industrial strategy must therefore consider location conditions, energy costs, and climate goals together.
Overall, the panel painted a picture of a balancing act: economic policy should relieve industry without losing sight of climate goals. Hattmannsdorfer summed up this line by pointing to the industrial electricity price and the reduction of non-wage labor costs. The question of how the expansion of renewable energies in Austria can be accelerated in concrete terms remained open at the event.
Another topic was the communication of industrial policy. Representatives of the Vienna Chamber of Labour stressed that an energy transition will only find acceptance if people are taken along. The consultant and the Verbund CEO also underlined that climate protection and economic competitiveness need not be opposites, but can be reconciled through smart framework conditions.
The government's industrial strategy is to be fleshed out further in the coming months. Observers expect that the planned introduction of the industrial electricity price by the end of the year will be a first litmus test for the course outlined by Hattmannsdorfer.
Anton Burger also pointed out at the discussion the importance of stable framework conditions for investment. Reliable political signals, he said, are necessary so that companies can make long-term decisions.
