Emissions, renewable energy, climate-induced migration: Wolfgang Anzengruber on our future

In this insightful interview, Dr. Markus Hengstschläger talks with Wolfgang Anzengruber, former CEO of Verbund AG, about topics such as sustainability, the shift from fossil to renewable energy, climate-induced migration, and much more. 

Wolfgang Anzengruber is an expert in the energy sector and also devotes himself to topics like sustainability and the future. After serving as a CEO of Verbund AG, he is now a co-opted board member of the platform “CEOs for Future” and regularly advises President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen, on topics concerning the energy sector. 

The platform “CEOs for Future” brings together decision-makers who want to change the future. Here, the focus is on interdisciplinary collaboration and efforts are made to drive economic developments that bring about positive change. Another pillar is an open dialog across generations. The main goal here is to establish trust between younger and older generations. To this end, youth organizations, such as “Fridays for Future” or the Boy Scouts, are involved in the economic dialog. 

Anzengruber also works as an advisor to the Austrian President with regard to the energy sector. At regular intervals, he answers Alexander Van der Bellen’s questions on various energy-related issues. 

According to Wolfgang Anzengruber, we are currently at the beginning of the end of the fossil age. Our current
problem is not the scarcity of fossil resources, but their impact on our environment. We currently have a CO2 concentration of 440 ppm in the air. This is strongly impacting our environment. The disappearance of glaciers in Austria is now unstoppable, and climate change will be a challenge in the years to come. 

In the future, electricity will be the most promising way to replace fossil energy. Water, wind, photovoltaics, and biomasses are other types of renewable energy. Overall, efficiency must be increased. A good example of great efficiency is the construction sector: new buildings can already be built to be incredibly energy-efficient. Gas will
still be around for a while in the industry, but should be avoided in the private sector.

When getting rid of fossil energies, we will lose almost all current energy sources such as oil, coal, and gas. Therefore, we need a green alternative, a green gas such as hydrogen. Hydrogen will gain importance in the future, even if it will be used primarily in the industry sector or for e-kerosene in the next few years. According to Anzengruber, we must move away from the idea of energy self-sufficiency, as this will not be possible.

Climate-induced migration will be a major challenge in the future, says Anzengruber. It is only understandable that people whose livelihood is threatened by climate change will flee to countries that offer a higher standard of living. Austria will be confronted with this in the coming years and will be faced with a challenge.

 Nevertheless, Anzengruber is optimistic about our future. He believes that we all must take responsibility, and if we do so, we can effect change. However, certain changes can only be enabled by introducing specific regulations and taxes. The past crises prove to us that we must take action — if we manage to do so in time, a positive outlook towards the future is entirely realistic.