Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Robert Bosch (Bosch) has both negative and positive advocacy on climate policy in Europe in 2023-25. While Bosch has stated top-line support for the Paris Agreement, the company has advocated to weaken EU CO2 standards for light-duty vehicles and a subsidiary appears to have advocated against policies promoting heat-pump adoption in the UK.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Bosch has mostly positive top-line messaging on climate policy. Bosch stated support for a 1.5°C global warming target and the Paris Agreement in its 2023 Sustainability Report, released in May 2024. However, in a January 2025 press release, Bosch’s CEO advocated for “fewer regulations” in the EU and Germany.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Bosch has mostly negative engagement on EU CO2 standards for light and heavy-duty vehicles, while taking both positive and negative positions on other EU policies. In a February 2025 interview with Springer Professional, Bosch CEO, Stefan Hartung, opposed the EU’s 2035 100% CO2 reduction target for cars and vans and advocated to weaken fines for non-compliance with the 2025 15% CO2 target. Previously, in a November 2024 interview with Automobiwoche, Bosch’s CEO appeared to similarly the same 2025 and 2035 EU CO2 targets. In an April 2024 email to the EU Commission, accessed by freedom of information request, Bosch emphasized the need to review CO2 standards for passenger cars in 2026, advocating for “more technology diversity”. Regarding heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), in a November 2023 position paper Bosch conditioned meeting the EU’s CO2 targets for HDVs on numerous enabling conditions, advocating for a review of targets if such conditions are not met, and exclude medium lorries and heavy buses from the regulation.
Regarding other EU policies, in an October 2024 consultation response, Bosch advocated to review the additionality principle for green hydrogen in the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive. However, Bosch’s CEO, Stefan Hartung, appeared to support an EU and German carbon tax in an Automobiwoche interview from November 2024.
A December 2024 statement from a Worcester Bosch (a Bosch subsidiary) executive, reported in Oil Installer, supported the UK’s 81% 2035 GHG emissions reduction target.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Bosch has consistently advocated for a technology-neutral approach to decarbonizing light and heavy-duty vehicles, and for the longer-term use of internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles over rapid electrification, including in a September 2024 blog post. In March 2024 comments reported by Yahoo News, Bosch CEO, Stefan Hartung stated that ICE-powered vehicles will be needed for at least 35 years before full electrification. Bosch has also repeatedly advocated for green hydrogen to decarbonize heavy-duty transport, including in a January 2024 press release. In a July 2024 EU Greening Corporate Fleets Initiative consultation response, Bosch advocated for ICE vehicles powered by carbon-neutral fuels to be defined as “zero emission vehicles” (ZEVs) and advocated against EU ZEV mandates, while generally supporting ZEV incentives.
Regarding heating, Worcester Bosch (a UK subsidiary) was reported by Oil Installer in December 2024 to have advocated to extend incentives in the UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme to hybrid technologies which include fossil gas boilers. The Independent also reported in August 2024 that Worcester Bosch had altered its marketing practices following a UK government investigation after allegedly using misleading language to promote hydrogen in home heating systems. An Hydrogen Insight article in May 2024 also reported that a Worcester Bosch executive previously lead a gas group that had lobbied against heat pumps and funded negative UK media articles criticizing heat pumps. In a December 2023 The Times article, Worcester Bosch also appeared critical of heat pump quotas in the UK Clean Heat Market Mechanism. Sky News in September 2023 also reported on Worcester Bosch claims the UK home heating would switch “from natural gas to 100% hydrogen” on its website. Outside of the UK, in an April 2024 speech, Bosch’s CEO appeared to support policies to electrify EU heating networks alongside fossil-powered hybrid heating systems. While some Bosch communications, such as a US-focused January 2024 press release, promoted the transition to heat pumps, in other communications Bosch appeared to advocate for hydrogen and fossil gas in home heating, such as in an April 2024 blog post.
Regarding hydrogen, in an October 2024 consultation response on the EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonization Delegated Act, Bosch advocated for criteria for “low-carbon” hydrogen that includes electricity sourced from PPAs and without including an additionality principle and geographical and temporal criteria. In a joint industry letter in May 2023, Bosch appeared to advocate for weaker implementation guidelines around the US Inflation Reduction Act’s clean hydrogen tax credit. Industry Association Governance: Bosch has disclosed a partial list of its industry associations while excluding more than 3 associations engaged on climate policy. It has not published an audit of its alignment with its industry associations. Bosch is a board member of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and [755672 European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), and the UK-based Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with all four groups having both negative and positive engagement on climate policy. It is also a member of the US-based Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which has negative engagement on climate policy.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q1 2025.