Vienna, Austria

Renowned for being one of the world’s most liveable cities, Vienna is taking steps towards an even healthier and happier future. In the Northeast of Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps, winters are cold and snowy, which makes heating a key sector for the city of Vienna. With a plan in motion to detox heat, the city is on the right track to improve air quality and become more resilient.
An ambitious strategy: phasing out of gas by 2040
The Vienna City Government committed itself to the objective of climate neutrality by 2040. Tackling emissions from the building sector will play a key role in achieving this target. Currently, almost 90% of CO2 emissions in the building sector are caused by gas heating. Moreover, since the energy crisis in 2022, Vienna’s strong commitment to phasing out gas, especially in heat supply, has become one of the city’s top priorities. Solutions must be found for 600,000 gas-fired units, approximately 474,000 of which are decentralised systems and for 260,000 gas stoves. A comprehensive strategy based on the Vienna Climate Guide was developed in order to attain this goal: “Phasing Out Gas – Heating and Cooling Vienna 2040” defines the steps to achieve the phasing-out of fossil fuels for space heating by 2040.
The “Heating and Cooling Vienna 2040” vision is based on the following pillars:
- 100 % renewable energy sources for heating and cooling by 2040.
- Densely built-up urban areas should be supplied by means of centralised district heating.
- For less densely built-up areas, the goal is to switch to renewables-based low-temperature heat networks and renewables-based building solutions. The focus is on heat pumps; in individual cases, biomass-based systems are used.
- Local renewable potentials are maximised and integrated into the nearest energy systems.
From strategy to implementation
A strategy is not enough to transform a metropolis running on fossil fuels into one supplied with renewable energy. The Executive Group for Construction and Technology of the City of Vienna launched the implementation of the Phasing Out Gas programme in 2022, structured into two phases. Pilot projects conducted in properties operated by Wien Energie GmbH and Wiener Wohnen as well as in municipal buildings and properties of low-profit and private project developers and building owners are to be initiated. These pilot projects are to serve as venues for testing and evaluating viable technical solutions to permit the rollout of the most suitable measures across the whole city. In particular, the initiative “100 projects out of gas” will help to obtain an overview of the specific requirements of variously appointed buildings dating from different periods. Technical solutions to rehabilitate buildings highly efficiently and convert them to sustainable forms of energy do exist. Now the task lies in establishing which methods best combine economic viability with benefits. An effective monitoring system is to document the success of the energy transition.
The Vienna Heating Plan 2040
The Vienna Heating Plan 2040 provides guidance for all owners and people living in Vienna. It shows which heat supply is best suited for buildings that are currently heated with oil or gas in the respective areas. It covers all built-up areas of the city. To define the areas in the Vienna Heating Plan 2040 the existing and expected heat demand up to 2040, renewable energy potentials and the existing infrastructure were taken into account. The Vienna Heating Plan 2040 focuses on all existing buildings. The plan distinguish between areas were district heating will be extended and densified, areas for low-temperature heating networks and finally areas for individual renewable solutions (mainly based on heat pumps).

Main challenges to detoxify heat:
- Finding the right solution for each building (especially for decentralised heating systems)
- Having the right legal framework at the federal level
- Having the support of employees, partners and the people of Vienna
Next steps:
- Enlarging and densifying the district heating grid
- Continue the pilot implementation of the 100 projects phase-out gas
- Set up a framework for low-temperature heating networks
- Develop a more detailed strategy and needed steps for cooling
Where they are in the heat strategy:
Find out more about Vienna's Heat Plan:
Vienna's Heat Detox:

Key Heat Figures:
- Emissions related to heating: 30% (estimation)
- Final energy consumption for space and water heating as well as cooling in buildings should decrease by 20 % per capita by 2030 and by 30% per capita by 2040.
- Km of DHC currently: 1300 km
- The existing network will be condensed and extended to 1720 km + additional hundreds of local district heating network with low temperatures
- In Vienna there are 460.000 households connected to DHC (2024) – and an additional 8000 business customers.
Covenant Figures:
- Signatory to the Covenant of Mayors since 2012
- Emission reduction ambitions:
% GHG emissions reductions by 2030: 40%
% GHG emissions reductions by 2050: climate neutrality by 2040
Financing your Heat Strategy
The costs relevant to Vienna that were calculated for the heating transition amount to around EUR 45 billion (EUR 73.5 billion with index). These costs include the necessary renovation measures for existing buildings, the expansion of the district heating infrastructure, the conversion of the district heating supply to, for example, deep geothermal energy and waste heat from the sewage treatment plant and the conversion to local heating network solutions and heat pump technologies for those households that, from today's perspective, should not be connected to district heating in the medium to long term.
€ 13,6 billions of public funding (state level) will be dedicated for refurbishment and changing heating systems within the buildings.
Sources of funding (rough breakdown): Partially publicly funded by the province of Vienna. The project planning provides for around one third of the costs for the heat transition to be supported by federal subsidies. All funding is related to the investment costs and quality of measures. Vienna is also currently seeking EU funding to support the achievement of the target.