Climate worry, higher education, or both? Exploring the motivations behind hydrogen optimism in Norway

Public perception can be critical for the acceptance and widespread adoption of hydrogen energy technologies (HET). While previous studies indicate general support for HET, the underlying reasons for such support remain unclear. In this paper, we examine the factors underlying perceptions of hydrogen. We analysed 2194 textual responses collected in November 2022 via the Norwegian Citizen Panel (NCP), in response to an open-ended question eliciting associations with the term ‘hydrogen’. We find that individuals with positive views on HET are often highly educated and concerned about climate change. Among highly educated respondents, climate concern enhances the belief that investments in HET promote employment and value creation, aligning economic opportunities with sustainability. The textual responses also reveal that men, despite showing lower levels of concern about climate change, are more likely than women to trust hydrogen technologies as a climate change mitigation strategy. In contrast, graduates of secondary education show limited engagement with the environmental potential of HET. These findings suggest that efforts to promote the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier may benefit from integrating economic opportunities into the context of sustainability, thereby enhancing appeal across different education levels.