Communities and Cleaner Energy for a Happier Future

Sustainability could be the key concept for the next quarter-century, according to E.ON's forward-looking research. Hungarians ranked green solutions first among technological developments for the future and predict the dominance of renewable energy sources.

For many, financial security is the most important factor for happiness, but graduates rank strong communities and human relationships higher. What will make the world a better place by 2050? Hungarians aged 16-75 put cooperation between people in first place — especially women, young people, and those with higher education — while the imaginary silver medal goes to more responsible environmental and social decisions. One and a half times as many people (64% vs. 41%) associate cooperation with a happy future than the opportunities offered by technological progress. These are the findings of a comprehensive, representative national survey commissioned by the E.ON Hungária Group. The results paint a picture of a future for which the energy company, which has been present in Hungary for exactly 25 years and operates the electricity grids of Transdanubia, Pest County and Budapest, is already actively working to establish areas considered particularly important by Hungarians – such as the application of clean green energy, the expansion of solar panels and energy storage options.

When asked by the surveyors which technological developments would best serve future prosperity, sustainable environmental and energy solutions came out on top in most demographic groups, narrowly ahead of even healthcare and physiological innovations. The majority clearly see that the success of the energy transition and the switch to clean green energy will be essential for everyday security in the future. A more detailed examination of the data also reveals that those with higher education clearly consider a responsible attitude towards the environment to be the key to a happy future.

Almost half of those surveyed (47%) believe that the widespread use of renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, is a basic prerequisite for a sustainable future, while 21% also include energy conservation and changing our habits in this regard. Four out of ten Hungarians believe that it is possible to switch completely to renewables by 2050. Most people (37%) expect households to become self-sufficient thanks to affordable solar panels and energy storage devices. When asked specifically about climate protection, 28% cited the faster introduction of renewable energy sources, while 22% cited changing consumption habits. Within the development of transportation, public transportation came out on top with 35% of mentions, but 13% of respondents also mentioned electric vehicles.

According to the research results, the adult Hungarian population also has a vision for culture that they believe would contribute to a harmonious life. Most (28%) expect support for the preservation of traditional art forms and physical community spaces. Many (20%) would also strengthen the role of culture in education – certainly primarily that of traditional cultural forms, as very few (5%) would encourage the integration of digital and artificial intelligence (AI)-based culture.

With regard to AI, most respondents cited responsible and transparent regulation (28%) and strengthening cooperation between humans and machines as goals for building the future, but a relatively large number (18%) also mentioned retraining and ensuring opportunities for continuous learning.

An important finding of the research is that the majority of respondents place financial security, work-life balance, and strengthening communities and human relationships above a safe and clean environment in their value ranking. Financial well-being most strongly determines the values of those who are furthest from it: low-income earners and those with basic education placed it in first place. At the same time, among graduates and those who, due to their age, are mainly concerned with the interests of future generations, stronger communities and human relationships are at the top of the ranking.