Reading tip: What Germans think about Bioeconomy

Bioplastics and biofuels from residues are popular with Germans, laboratory meat and green genetic engineering are rejected. That emerges from the TechnikRadar 2020 by acatech – German Academy of Science and Körber Foundation. In addition to the general attitude towards technology, the study this year asks how Germans stand about the goals and possible effects of the bioeconomy.

The study shows that 70.2 percent of Germans think that Germany should lead by example in climate protection. 74.4 percent of those surveyed believe that environmental protection requires a reduction in consumption. 

“We see that sustainable business is an important concern for Germans. The picture is less clear when it comes to political implementation or personal consequences”, comments Tatjana König, member of the Board of Directors of the Körber Foundation. “The fact that opinion formation on the bioeconomy is still at the beginning also offers the opportunity to take people along to take into account the enormous potential as well as possible side effects. For this we need more knowledge transfer, but also a debate on an equal footing with those who develop these technologies”, added Tatjana König.

The study explored how Germans think about the topics „Replacing plastic with bioplastics“, „Green genetic engineering“, „biofuels from residues“ and „meat waivor/laboratory meat“. 

You can read the full article (in German) and find out about the results here. 

Original article by Christoph Uhlhaas, acatech