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SDGs and Contemporary Sustainability Management in Action – Turning Challenges into Opportunities

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Countries

Austria

Policy areas

ClimateEnergyEnvironment and natural resourcesSustainable development

Organisation name Parliamentary Administration of Austria, Parlamentsdirektion

Contact person: Eva Szigeti

eva.szigeti@parlament.gv.at

Socio-political responsibility and active contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved through the implementation of an environmental management system. The Austrian Parliamentary Administration, Parlamentsdirektion, is the first national parliament with this goal and is therefore setting an example for others. The renovation of the 130-year-old historic parliament building of Austria provides the perfect framework for the introduction of environmental and sustainability management into the Austrian Parliamentary Administration. The comprehensive building refurbishment, in connection with the social and political call for responsible use of resources for future generations, allows a unique opportunity for cultural change, which is needed for the implementation of such a broad concept. In the course of the renovation, the structural requirements in accordance with the Disability Equality Act and the UN Disability Rights Convention will be created. By overcoming barriers using modern technology, people with disabilities will also have full access to parliamentary operations and have the opportunity to fully participate in public, democratic and political life. Since the current locations serve only as interim locations for the duration of the renovation, it was decided to aim for certifications in connection with the commissioning of the historic main building. The focus lies on certification according to the environmental management system EMAS. EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) stands for continuous improvement of the environmental performance that an organisation provides, either directly or indirectly.

This project aims to achieve three main goals:

Goal 1: A strong signal for sustainability and accessibility in particular within the public administration as well as in society, and thereby contributing to the SDGs, the 17 development goals of the United Nations.

Goal 2: The first national parliament with EMAS certification and sustainability management, and a benchmark for other national and international administrative organisations. No national parliament in the world has yet been certified.

Goal 3: Implementation and promotion of a national and international sustainability network for the exchange of best practice examples.

There has been the sense of a long-term endeavour for this project. The implementation of sustainability management is profiled as a project with the EMAS certification as a target date. However, this is just the first step of a long-term sustainability programme with the aim of continuous improvement. Moreover, the durable aspect can be guaranteed since the order for the project was given by the President of the National Council, and support has also been given at the senior administrative level. In addition, the implementation of an environmental and sustainability management system tries to do justice to the three pillars of sustainability (environment, social and economic efficiency).

Therefore, the whole project and its aims to reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals can be classified as sustainable. In this regard, the building renovation must be acknowledged once more. Historic non-renovated buildings are one of the biggest emitters of CO2 and as such, the climate-friendly and energy-efficient renovation of the 130-year-old building is a very important step and once-in-a-decade opportunity. In addition, this project proves that efficient, cost-conscious action is possible in harmony with sustainable operation.

Moreover, the project contributes to fulfilling the 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, especially the following goals:

  1. Reduced inequalities: availability of the website in easy language and sign language, improving the accessibility of the website, ensuring barrier-free buildings, a pilot project for a guidance system with QR codes and near-field communication (NFC) especially for blind or visually impaired people, software for simultaneous translation of what is spoken into writing or use of a handwriting interpreter – all with the support of interest groups.
  2. Sustainable cities and communities: efforts to protect and preserve historic buildings and access to public spaces, measures to improve waste separation, charging stations for e-cars.
  3. Responsible consumption and production: sustainable procurement, promotion of reusable dishes in the cafeteria, raising awareness among employees.
  4. Climate action: reduction of electricity consumption, cooling and heating, use of environmentally friendly chemicals, offsetting CO2 emissions through air travel.
  5. Partnerships for the goals: national network with sustainability experts and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) at the EU level. Furthermore, the Parliamentary Administration contributes to other SDGs (such as 4. Quality education, peace, justice and strong institutions) with various offers providing information about parliamentary events.

In 2020, we focused on mobility management and set up an employee survey on ‘Mobility and Health in the Workplace’ for the first time. Concrete steps to promote environmentally friendly forms of mobility could be derived from the results that build up a strong base for the development of a mobility strategy. As an awareness-raising action, the employees were offered a comprehensive programme as part of the European Mobility Week. An important measure to reduce CO2 emissions was also implemented by compensation payments for parliamentary air travel for 2019. The main topics for raising awareness in 2021 are sustainable consumption of clothing, waste avoidance and separation, mobility, and food waste.

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