A representative survey by Bosch shows that the majority of those surveyed see new technologies as the key to fighting climate change. But when it comes to power generation, opinions differ about future-oriented technologies.
Climate change is considered to be the greatest challenge of the 21st century. If nothing fundamental changes, climate scientists warn, the earth will warm up by around 1.5 degrees in the next ten years compared to the pre-industrial age. According to current knowledge, the frequency and spatial spread of extreme weather events will increase – in addition to many other effects on the environment.
New solutions are required. Many people see them as sustainable and future-oriented technologies. This is the result of the current Bosch Tech Compass 2023, a representative study conducted in seven countries (Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Great Britain, and the USA). But which technologies do those surveyed see as being at the forefront in the fight against climate change and what role do companies play in this? The Bosch Tech Compass 2023 also looked into these questions.
Sustainable technologies as an economic concept for success
The more a company relies on sustainable technologies, the greater economic success it will have in the future. 82% of all participants in the survey agree on this. The people in Brazil and India in particular are convinced of this assumption with 87% each. In the USA, on the other hand, only 73% share this assessment and thus bring up the rear in the comparison. The participants were also asked how they assess the commitment of businesses to climate protection. The overall balance is somewhat less positive here: 58% of those surveyed believe that only a few companies are seriously dealing with the issue of sustainability.
Global differences in support for sustainable technologies
A large proportion of climate-damaging gases are produced when fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are burned. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the expansion of renewable energies in Germany is an important step. But not everywhere in the world do people want to completely do without fossil fuels and nuclear power for energy production. However, a total of 62% of all participants in the survey want solar energy to be promoted and 44% support the expansion of wind power technologies.
With regard to individual countries, however, there are large differences in the approval of sustainable technologies. While many Germans want solar and wind energy (solar: 63% and wind: 50%) and hydrogen (51%) to be expanded, Indians (oil: 22% and gas: 23%) and Americans (oil: 21% and Gas: 24%) more than other surveyed nations on oil and gas technologies. Support for nuclear power technology is also relatively high in China (36%) and France (31%). On a global average, the desire for nuclear power is 23%, in Germany, it is just 13%. Germany is even less interested in fossil fuels such as oil (4%) and gas (15%). This shows that the regional differences in terms of energy production are large.
Confidence in innovative technologies is increasing
Overall, the Tech Compass 2023 survey results show that general trust in new technologies is steadily growing. And not only that – on average 75% of the people surveyed agree: Smart and sustainable technologies are changing the world for the better. The majority of respondents (83%) are even convinced that innovative technologies play a key role in the fight against climate change. These are particularly important for the economy and companies. After all, the industrial sector, with around 24% CO₂ emissions, is the second largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany after the energy sector.
For this study, people aged 18 and over were interviewed online in September 2022 in seven countries (Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Great Britain, and the USA): 1,000 people in Germany, France, and Great Britain and 2,000 people in Brazil, China, India, and the USA. The survey is representative.
