Stakeholder Workshop in Vienna Strengthens Policy and Financing Proposals for Austria’s National Renovation Strategy
Vienna, July 7, 2025 – As part of the EU LIFE project RENOINVEST – Roundtables Enhancing Smart Investments in Sustainable Renovation of Buildings – a focused stakeholder workshop brought together representatives from finance, politics, and the renovation sector to discuss how Austria can accelerate building decarbonisation despite reduced subsidies and political uncertainties.
The workshop, held in Vienna’s 7th district, was organised as a Financial Working Group (FWG) meeting within RENOINVEST Work Package 3. A total of 20 participants, including seven financial experts, attended the session to contribute directly to Austria’s emerging National Action Plan on Sustainable Renovation.
Keynote Inputs and Case Studies
The event opened with Wolfgang Amann (IIBW) presenting the Austrian Government’s Programme 2025, highlighting climate commitments, EU targets, and forthcoming measures in the fields of housing, renovation, and funding.
Susanne Formanek (Renowave) then introduced the Meidlinger L demonstration project, a pioneering case study combining architectural, environmental, and financial innovation. Multifunctional balconies with greening and integrated photovoltaics are planned on public land, creating added value both for residents and the wider neighbourhood.
Christina Böckl followed with an overview of RENOINVEST’s progress to date, presenting draft measures of the National Action Plan as a basis for in-depth discussions.
Group Discussions and Proposals
In breakout sessions, participants analysed and refined the proposed measures across four thematic areas:
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Policy requirements: Calls for separating building codes for renovation and new construction, simplifying permitting, centralising subsidies, and addressing tenancy law to enable financing.
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Financing models: Proposals to revive Austria’s housing investment bank (WBIB) as a public-private vehicle, strengthen renovation project management, and explore renovation passports as financial tools.
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Consumer-centred approaches: Recommendations for establishing regional one-stop-shops, introducing “renovation coaches,” and developing AI-based advisory services.
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Awareness and knowledge transfer: Suggestions to expand renovation pilots, promote generational credit schemes, and empower property managers as key actors in renovation promotion.
Strategic Impact and Next Steps
Participants highlighted the urgency of implementing these measures within the current legislative cycle, ideally by 2029. The strong motivation among stakeholders reflected a shared recognition that cross-sector collaboration and innovative financing instruments are essential for Austria to meet its climate and renovation targets.
The results of the group discussions have been summarised in a PDF report of workshop outcomes, available for download. These consolidated proposals will be forwarded to the RENOINVEST Advisory Board in September 2025 and integrated into the final version of the National Action Plan, to be presented at the RENOINVEST International Roundtable in Austria in January 2026.
