Volume 71 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

Demographic change is very complex and difficult challenge for our society. Demographic change has become a crucial problem for many regions within in Austria. We expect a strong impact and pressure on the current social infrastructure across the country depending on the population change as householders are becoming more heterogeneous because of international migration, low birth rates, and ageing. However, the impact might be different for the regions as some regions might gain, some others might lose from this future development. This paper analyzes the effects and linkages of demographic change on flood risk management. The paper selected 17 experts from the health and care sector across the country with the aim to analyze their awareness, perspective and understanding of the interlinkages between demographic change, flood risk management and their influence on the current social infrastructure. The results show that there exists a high awareness of the problem, but on a very superficially touch upon. The main reason is the current lack of policy integration and co-operation between the various disciplines, which in turn means that the goal of “health-in-all policies” is at risk.

The credibility factor plays a very important role in corporate communication (especially in the food sector). It was investigated how the commitment (financial and time resources of a project) and the communicated interests of a company, affect the evaluation of measures regarding credibility in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This was investigated based on a sample (n = 240) of 20- to 35-year-old persons living in Austria. The persons were recruited with the help of a survey institute and randomly assigned to four groups in equal parts (age structure, distribution female/male). This is intended to achieve the greatest possible degree of internal validity and comparability. Credibility for CSR measures is defined by attributions, basic evaluations of CSR measures, the constructs trustworthiness and competence, and the evaluation of the corporate image. The authors use a two-by-two factorial experimental research design. The results show that, contrary to expectations, commitment plays a subordinate role compared to the communicated interests or motives why a company devotes itself to the topic of CSR. It can be deduced from this that the main issue in connection with CSR is honest, transparent communication of the company's goals, in which the companies not only refer to their altruistic motives for society, but also to what benefits the company itself can derive from CSR activities.

The relationships between increased CO₂ supply on the one hand and vegetation development, plant growth, yield and quality of different crop species on the other hand were examined on the basis of observations and experiments (meta studies) available worldwide. Special attention was paid to FACE experiments (Free-air CO₂ enrichment method), but satellite surveys and chamber fumigation systems were also included. The results are: (1) The increase of the atmospheric CO₂ concentration by about 100 ppm during the last 100 years led to increased plant growth worldwide. The global vegetation cover increased by 11–14%, which is attributed by 70% to the increased atmospheric CO₂ content. Since 1982 the global tree population has increased by 7.1%. (2) The increase of the CO₂ content in the air (typically from 350 to 550 ppm) resulted in the yield increases of selected crops from 10 to more than 30%. (3) In Germany, from 1990 to 2015 the yields of wheat, barley, maize and potatoes increased by more than 30% which was partly due to the increased CO₂ content in the air. Across all crop species, the annual net CO₂ fixation in Germany is 96.3 million tons. (4) The CO₂-related yield increases are based on an increase in photosynthesis performance. They were subject to large fluctuations depending on plant species, water supply and nutrient supply (especially N and P). (5) In the case of poor nutrient availability in the soil and insufficient fertilization, the CO₂ induced yield increase can be associated with a reduction in plant nutrient and protein concentrations (mainly due to "dilution effects") and thus with a reduction in quality. N (to a lesser extent also P) obviously plays a key role in this process. This can be compensated by adapted fertilization management and by breeding of drought-tolerant "low-input" varieties with high nutrient utilization efficiency. (6) The CO₂ induced yield increases should be used to secure the world's food supply and improve the income situation in poorer countries.