As artificial lighting has a detrimental effect on habitats, wildlife and the night-time landscape, the Tyrolean Nature Conservation Act applies to lighting projects outside built-up areas. In nature conservation approval procedures, binding requirements for sustainable lighting may be imposed, or lighting installations may be prohibited.
In order to illustrate the trend in lighting-related procedures and to highlight the types of installations involved, lighting-related nature conservation procedures in Tyrol from 2015 to 2024 were analysed. The analysis is also available in the Tyrolean Environmental Ombudsoffice Activity Report 23/24.
Over the past ten years, a total of 467 permits have been granted. Only in 2020 was a permit for roadside advertising in the form of two 24 m² LED screens in Kufstein refused.
However, there is a general trend towards an increase in the number of lighting-related permits being granted. This may be due to the growing number of lighting installations, but also to the authorities’ increased awareness of the environmental impact of light pollution.
The total number of decisions issued each year has remained virtually unchanged over the last ten years. Decisions relating to lighting (shown in yellow in the diagram) account for only a small proportion.
Artificial night-time lighting and its sustainable use play the most significant role in procedures relating to buildings.
Lighting systems such as ski lifts, snow-making equipment and ski slopes - as part of the alpine winter sports infrastructure - account for a significant proportion of the “Sport, Leisure and Tourism” category (shown in light yellow in the bar chart).
The “Lighting” category covers projects where lighting is the sole basis for approval. Most of these procedures fall under the “Sport, Leisure and Tourism” category.
