Vienna’s focus on sustainability and green-solutions and projects has been a part of the fabric of the city for many years. We at the IES Abroad Vienna center have also started to focus on how we can integrate ideas of sustainability into our operations and the daily lives of our staff and students.

Sustainable Living in Austria is closely tied to the social welfare system here. Coming from the US, many aspects of this may be new to you. These social systems impact understandings of (collective) responsibility and the role of the government in the lives of the people.

The City of Vienna places emphasis on access to housing andpublic services –from green spaces and public hiking trails to great public transport and schools, and libraries, the city strives to provide all its citizens with an equally high quality of life.

Did you know, for example, that close to 120,000 homes in Vienna are heated through the trash that is burned in the city’s incinerators? Not only that, but energy produced by the ovens that bake the famous Manner Schnitten wafers heats 600 households in Vienna. You might also be surprised to learn that 50% of the food served in the city’s public kindergartens and primary schools is organic. And consider that over 75% of Viennese residents either walk, bike, or use public transit for their daily commute.

Whether you are returning a bottle as ‘Pfand’ (a deposit system which exchanges money for empty containers), swimming in the Alte Donau, or enjoying the widespread network of Austrian trains, you can be sure that these are aspects of Sustainable Living –Austrian style. Engaging with ideas of Sustainability in Vienna will improve your overall cultural competence.

As you explore Vienna and Austria, know that there are many sustainability-related surprises that await!

To get you started on your explorations we have put together a Sustainable Vienna Guide. Enjoy!