Research

On Vienna’s path to climate neutrality, disconnecting about 600,000 homes from the gas grid is a significant challenge. The STAGE Vienna project supports this process by developing decision-ready, science-based pathways for a socially responsible and cost-effective transformation of Vienna's urban heating system. The central focus of the project is analyzing exit options in the context of the EU Gas and Hydrogen Internal Market Directive. Two core problems are addressed: the "utility death spiral," where shrinking user numbers drive up network charges for remaining customers, and "split incentives," which prevent tenants from responding to cost incentives to switch heating systems. As a solution STAGE Vienna proposes a grid decommissioning that is synchronized in space and time with targeted support, to protect vulnerable groups, and early, continuous stakeholder involvement to secure broad legitimacy. Methodologically, the project combines a spatially explicit planner perspective, mapping the gas decommissioning, and an economic perspective, modelling the exit dynamics as well as the demand. Both approaches have the same high-resolution data basis, stemming from administrative data and are co-developed and implemented jointly with local actors, who are responsible for the decommissioning. The main target groups of the project are decision-makers at the City of Vienna and the gas grid operators, who receive concrete tools to estimate network cost dynamics and social impacts, plus a roadmap for the implementation. Further, the published scientific results will also contribute to the knowledge on grid decommissioning in Europe and large-scale spatial planning.

As part of the project, a detailed evaluation plan will be developed based on the CAP Strategic Plan evaluation plan and in accordance with the evaluation framework specified by the European Commission under Regulation (EU) 2022/1475. Based on the detailed concept, analyses will be conducted using established and proven quantitative and qualitative methods and techniques—including target-actual, before-and-after, and with/without comparisons. For these analyses, an operational model approach for agriculture in Germany will be developed and applied.

Decarbonizing the building sector is a critical component of Vienna’s energy transition strategy. To increase renovation rates and accelerate the phase out fossil fuel-based heating systems, policies focus predominantly on promoting energy efficiency measures. However, prioritizing technology-centric approaches to achieving climate neutrality risks reinforcing or exacerbating existing inequalities, including energy and housing vulnerabilities. The inter- and transdisciplinary project “IMAGINE 2040 – Climate-neutral and equitable housing in Vienna 2040” addresses the challenge of ensuring a socially responsible and just transition towards climate-neutral housing. The project aims to identify and analyse structural challenges, hindering or enabling the mainstreaming of energy-efficient, affordable, and accessible housing solutions, with a particular focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups. In the first phase, IMAGINE 2040 will combine policy analysis with city-wide quantitative and spatially differentiated vulnerability assessments based on a micro-economic analysis of Vienna’s building stock, patterns of ownership, and exposure to energy poverty. In the second phase, following a transdisciplinary approach, the project will facilitate the co-design of policy interventions that reflect the diverse needs and perspectives of affected citizens and stakeholders. The project will conduct in-depth qualitative research through a workshop that integrates systems thinking and arts-based methods to generate actionable knowledge, and foster participation and inclusivity. IMAGINE 2040 will be implemented through close collaboration between the scientific team and a Transdisciplinary Consultation Group (TCG), composed of stakeholders and experts in the fields of energy transition, housing, and social justice.