The Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (OGUT)
The Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (OGUT) is a non profit organisation, formed as a scientific platform for environment, economy and administration. It was founded in 1985 with the goal to overcome the communicational barriers in the conflict areas of economy and ecology.
Due to the membership of around 80 organisations from ministries (e.g. Ministry of Economics and Labour, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management), public authorities (e.g. Municipality of Vienna, Province of Lower Austria), private industry and enterprises (e.g. Siemens Austria), interest groups (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, IG Passivhaus), environmental organisations (e.g. Greenpeace, WWF, Global 2000) and professional individuals, OGUT has the best preconditions for networking, preparation and providing of competent information and innovative solutions in order to meet and initiate challenges in the environmental field.
The main focus at OGUT lies on "networking, scientific competence and innovation" and the topics that are dealt with lie in the fields of “Environment and Technology”. An important pillar of OGUT's activities is to develop strategies for environmentally sound policies and measures as a think-tank, together with its members.
On the European level OGUT is participating in Eracobuild (an Era-net on research in the building sector where Austria is the leader of the Steering Committee), it is the project coordinator of PASS-net (a network of passivehouse organisations), it is participating in ACTP (Austrian Construction Technology Platform – Research Group) which is the national branch of ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform) etc.
OGUT has a permanent staff of 35 employees (28 scientists). Besides scientific expertise - where one of the main emphases is laid on sustainable buildings, OGUT has a designated expertise in project and programme management, e.g. OGUT is commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology to manage the Austrian building RTD programme "Building of Tomorrow" since the year 2000. OGUT is responsible for the content of the programme, supervising the various participating projects, building networks between the people involved in them, informing potential participants about the programme and integrating important stakeholders. Furthermore, OGUT has broad knowledge in project management and is involved in some European Projects (FP6 – ERANET Project ERABUILD, INTERREGG-Projects with new EU member states, IEE projects EffCoBuild and PASS-NET, etc.) dealing with building issues.
The Austrian Society for Environment and Technology works primarily on contract basis for its members. In the department for Building and Innovation OGUT has worked as coordinator or partner in many innovative projects in and for the construction industry. OGUT is managing the Austrian building standard for sustainable buildings: klima:aktiv building & refurbishing.
Besides scientific expertise, OGUT has an accounted expertise in project and programme management. In that role OGUT is commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology to manage the Austrian building RTD programme “Building of Tomorrow”.
Responsibilities
The Austrian Society for Environment and Technology is a non-profit organization. OGUT is dealing with relevant issues on the interface between the environment and technology. Its responsibilities specifically include:
- Avoiding/resolving conflicts involving the environment
- Facilitating the reconciliation of interests between the various stakeholders affected by environmental policy (particularly environmental organizations, firms, employers’ and employees’ associations, and the administration)
- Boosting Austria’s environmental technologies (including transport and energy technologies) in the widest sense
- Assisting the states of Central and Eastern Europe in solving environmental problems
- Evaluating the legal, political, social and economic framework for environmental technologies and developing it further
- Informing the general public about options and hazards as regards the environment and technology
- Handling issues relevant to the environment and technology in the interest of a majority of ÖGUT’s members
- Working as a Think-Tank for members and administrative authorities
In connection with these assignments OGUT actively promotes communication and cooperation between scientific institutions, business, industry, representatives of employers and employees, the authorities, environmental organizations, the media and other relevant institutions.
Österreichische Gesellschaft
für Umwelt und Technik
Hollandstraße 10/46
A-1020 Wien
Tel +43.1.315 63 93
Fax +43.1.315 63 93-22
E-Mail office@oegut.at
