Environment Agency Austria: Leading the Way for a Sustainable Austria and ESG-Cockpit Specialist Partner
The Environment Agency Austria is a key partner for akaryon in the ongoing development of the ESG-Cockpit, contributing technical expertise in emission factors, greenhouse gas accounting, and standard-based methodologies.
It was a pleasure to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this pioneering institution for the environment, climate, and sustainable development in Austria—not only because of our partnership but also because I am convinced of the Environment Agency’s essential contribution to shaping a future worth living.
Anniversary Celebration at Vienna City Hall
The festivities took place on November 4, 2025, in the Grand Ballroom of Vienna City Hall. The motto was: “Together for the Environment, Climate, and the Future”.
Around 900 guests were in attendance—including Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. Using a historical example, the President illustrated the greenhouse effect and also highlighted the significant contribution of a woman to climate science.
Eunice Newton Foote and the Greenhouse Effect
In 1856, the American researcher Eunice Newton Foote was the first to demonstrate how heat from solar radiation is absorbed by carbon dioxide. To do this, she filled one glass cylinder with CO₂ and a second with air, exposed both to the sun, and compared the temperatures. The vessel filled with CO₂ became significantly warmer.
Thus, 170 years ago!, she established a link to climate change by concluding from her experiment that an atmosphere with high levels of carbon dioxide leads to greater warming (cf. Meier 2023).
Environment Agency Austria and akaryon GmbH – Birthday Twins
A nice anecdote I can add to the occasion: The Environment Agency Austria has been operating as a GmbH (limited liability company) since 1999. akaryon has also been around for 25 years. In a way, that makes us birthday twins!
Sources:
Meier, Friederike (2023). Climate Crisis: The Forgotten Researcher. Frankfurter Rundschau online, 03/07/2023. https://www.fr.de/politik/klimakrise-die-vergessene-forscherin-92130390.html