On Thursday 20th July, Bosch held their first Consumer Forum in the Churchill Room at the House of Commons in London. Key customers and business partners were invited with guest speakers Dr Alan Whitehead, Lord Whitty and Peter Ainsworth and speakers from Bosch including UK Representative Robert Meier and Worcester’s Managing Director Richard Soper. The theme of the evening was the environment, more specifically, ‘ecology through technology.’ After drinks on the terrace overlooking the Thames, the guests were invited to dinner, speeches and questions. Host Dr Alan Whitehead MP opened the Forum by saying that following the recent Energy Review, there was increased importance of the subject of energy efficiency and the future of waste management and recyclable products. Alan has a special interest in the environment and energy and is chair of the Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group.

Ecology as a key part of Bosch’s long term strategy
Robert Meier, Bosch Representative in the UK welcomed the guests to Bosch’s first Consumer Forum while admiring the wonderful surroundings of the Churchill Room. He went on to say that the event was an attempt by Bosch in the UK to show their dynamic approach to environmental commitment and to ‘ecology through technology.’ Bosch as a company is also in
a good position with over 100 years of business in the UK. Ecology is a key part of Bosch’s long term strategy as well
as making products safer, cleaner and more economical.
The company places great importance on social and environmental responsibility as well as reducing the environmental impact of products when they are disposed
of. Bosch is abreast of the latest developments in technology, such as tidal technology, which is made possible by the huge investment in Research and Development and the high numbers of patents registered each year.

Richard Soper, Managing Director of Worcester introduced
key note speaker Lord Whitty saying that the question really was, ‘How can modern technology change our future?’ He gave an introduction to his business saying there has been
a huge shift to condensing boilers – from 23% to 80% - and production at the factory in Worcester changed from 5% to
90% to condensing boilers! Turning to the audience, he asked
who had various types of renewable energy sources at home – such as fuel cells, biomass, ground source heat pumps, solar panels and condensing boilers.

Lord Whitty on new environmental initiatives
The evening’s main speaker, Lord Whitty is Chairman
of the National Consumer Council, the consumer policy and research organisation with a special focus on the needs of disadvantaged consumers. The National Consumer Council represents and educates consumers. Lord Whitty spoke about how global warming and climate change should be taken more seriously. It is difficult to get across the message of energy efficiency and controlling energy costs to consumers, he said, it’s not always a high priority. Lord Whitty believes that there is an ‘I will if you will’ attitude towards the environment but topics such as price, quality and availability are all at the top of the list. Half of household emissions relate to heating
or water heating which is a mainstream area for Worcester’s business. New initiatives are needed, he said, and at the moment another project he is involved with - the London Climate Change Committee - is looking at new requirements for air conditioning, heating systems and more renewable energy to be more efficient in London’s older buildings. If climate change is a main challenge then we must invest in more Research and Development. He concluded by saying he believes that businesses have the responsibility at the end of the day and that consumers will respond as he has done by having a Worcester boiler in his home!

Growing concern about climate change
Peter Ainsworth MP, the Shadow Minister for the Department
of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), takes a keen interest in the environment and was recognised for this work by being awarded the Public Affairs News ‘Politician of the Year’ award in 2005. Peter Ainsworth responded to Lord Whitty’s words saying that there was greater need for a party political consensus. ‘We need to get it right.’ He said, admitting that it was a big challenge. He believes that companies like Bosch will make it at the cutting edge of new technology and will thrive in the 21st century because of their investment in Research and Development. He believes that consumers are already making up their minds as there is a growing concern about climate change – and it is more in the media than ever before. For example, Ford is spending a billion pounds on cleaner energy consumption in cars, Tesco is investing in solar panels and windmills at their branches. And all this is being led by the consumer. The consumer thinks there is something wrong so it is a huge and powerful market for being at the cutting edge. There is also a demand for political leadership as people want certainty, so it is up to politicians to take the lead. Too many initiatives have been short-lived; we need a holistic approach such as tax incentives to inform business and consumer choice, he said. We need to harness inventiveness and creativity so that they are sustainable for the planet and future generations.

All of the speakers reiterated their support for Bosch’s substantial level of spending on Research and Development and the way in which the company is staying ahead of new technologies demonstrating an ongoing commitment to the environment.