Austria: HEAT boosts intersectoral collaboration on transport policy in Austria

The Austrian Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management has contributed to the development of WHO/Europe’s health economic assessment tool (HEAT) since its inception. It sponsored the first HEAT consensus meeting in Graz in May 2007.

The Ministry translated HEAT and its user guide into German when it was launched as an online tool in 2009. The Ministry then piloted HEAT with Austrian values and published the following results.

  • The current modal share of cycling in Austria is 5%, with an average journey length of 2 km.
  • This level of cycling results in 412 lives saved per year.
  • This is valued at €405 million per year.
  • Achieving the goal of a 10% modal share would increase the benefit to €810 million per year.

The Ministry regularly uses HEAT results in presentations and communications, such as for the former Minister of Environment’s cycling tour. The National Cycling Masterplan also includes HEAT results. This has led to much greater collaboration between the ministries of health, environment and transport on national transport policy.

HEAT and its user guide (in German)

National Cycling Masterplan 2015–2025 (in German)