More guidance needed to reach carbon neutrality across the UK, says Bosch

New research from Bosch UK suggests people across the United Kingdom are keen to be more energy efficient but are struggling to find information that will help them to change their behaviour.

Bosch UK surveyed 2000 people and found that 51% want to be more energy efficient. The highest figure recorded was in Northern Ireland, where 60% are eager to adopt more efficient behaviours.

Yet the same survey showed that 40% of people across the country said there’s a lack of education in how they can change their behaviour in order to reach their energy efficiency goals.

Bosch has identified this gap in providing the public with the resources they need to go further in reducing their carbon emissions as an area that needs greater focus from businesses and government.

Bosch UK Managing Director Vonjy Rajakoba said: “In recent years, most people have altered their lifestyles in various ways so that they can contribute to protecting the environment. This survey shows that they want to do more but need support, so it’s up to businesses and government to make sure we show people what else they can do. It’s imperative to underline the positive steps that have been made so far. But it’s important that we take people with us on this journey to carbon neutrality.”

In addition to wanting to be more environmentally friendly themselves, 63% of people also stated that companies should aim to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Bosch UK carried out the survey after being certified as reaching carbon neutral status. Having achieved Scope 1, which means a company’s direct carbon emissions are net zero, and Scope 2, which means the energy a company purchases is net zero, Bosch is working on Scope 3. By 2030, the company aims to reduce CO₂ emissions along its entire value chain, from suppliers to customers, by 15 percent from their 2018 level – a reduction of 67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Bosch in the UK has been able to implement a variety of far-reaching projects to improve the energy efficiency of its production sites and deploy technological solutions that save resources. Among them is a water recycling system at its Worcester Bosch facility, which saves around 71 million litres of water and 12 metric tonnes of CO2 annually1. In another UK project, Bosch associates in Stowmarket redesigned the packaging of gardening products and as a result reduced plastic use by 52 metric tonnes per year, and is now sourcing the cardboard it uses for packaging from FSC-certified suppliers2.

Around the world similar projects have resulted in Bosch dramatically increasing its energy efficiency. As well as purchasing green electricity, it is also generating 17% of the electricity it uses from renewable sources in-house at company sites3.

All of this means Bosch is a carbon neutral company when it comes to manufacturing, development and administration. Bosch is now working just as hard with its suppliers, logistics companies and customers to help them on their journey to net zero. As an example of this, Bosch has created a new business called Bosch Climate Solutions, which provides assistance to other companies as they work toward making their development, manufacturing, and business activities resource efficient and climate neutral.

On the customer side Bosch has developed a variety of products and services. Its ‘Power For All’ 18V battery packs can be used in each of Bosch’s wide range of tools, and the battery pack can also be used in other brands’ products. This creates simplicity for the user and reduces waste⁴.

Notes to Editors:

Bosch UK surveyed 2000 people from across the United Kingdom in May 2021. The survey was conducted after Bosch was certified as reaching carbon neutral status. Robert Bosch GmbH, the supplier of technology and services, is a carbon neutral company across all of its operations around the world. This includes all of its 400-plus locations and the company is one of just 4% of the world’s largest 500 companies to have achieved this ambition.

¹ Source: https://www.bosch.co.uk/our-company/our-responsibility/sustainability/

² Source: Bosch sustainability report 2020: Factbook, p60 Link

³ Source: Bosch sustainability report 2020: Factbook, p63 Link

⁴ More information: https://www.bosch-diy.com/gb/en/landing/power-for-all/power-for-all

Contact person for press enquiries:

James Bolton:

Phone: +44 1895 87-8049
Email: James.Bolton@uk.bosch.com
Twitter: @BoschUK

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 395,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2020). The company generated sales of 71.5 billion euros in 2020. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 129 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 73,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 34,000 are software engineers.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a corporation owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.co.uk,
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