A study conducted by the London School of Economics examined the relationship between scientists’ faith in technological solutions and their engagement in climate action. Researchers surveyed more than 9,000 scientists across 115 countries to assess their views on whether technology would largely address problems caused by the climate crisis.
The findings indicate that scientists who hold what researchers term “techno-optimism”—the belief that technology will primarily resolve climate-related challenges—demonstrate measurably lower levels of civic engagement compared to their peers. Those with stronger technological faith were 23% less likely to participate in petitions or protests and 18% less likely to make high-impact lifestyle modifications such as reducing air travel or adopting plant-based diets. The survey revealed that 27% of respondents agreed technology would largely solve climate problems, while 44% disagreed and 29% remained neutral.
Lead author Fabian Dablander explained that techno-optimism may foster dependence on unproven technological fixes while diverting attention from necessary large-scale social and economic transformations. The appeal of technological approaches, according to Dablander, lies partly in their political attractiveness, as they suggest climate problems can be addressed without requiring fundamental changes to consumption patterns and lifestyles.
The research, published in Environmental Research Letters, found that techno-optimist views were most common among scientists with right-leaning political orientations and those working in applied and natural sciences fields. Notably, scientists holding such views reported engaging in fewer climate advocacy efforts and demonstrating less commitment to personal behavioral changes associated with environmental responsibility.
Commentary from Kevin Anderson, a prominent climate scientist at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, characterized techno-optimism as allowing some academics to avoid confronting personal responsibility for their carbon footprints while maintaining a sense of environmental concern. Anderson further argued that faith in future technological breakthroughs provides justification for deferring difficult decisions in the present.
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