Over a third of consumers want future technological innovations to prioritise solving climate issues over non-essential needs such as space exploration, voice assistants or augmented home entertainment.

A survey of 2,000 UK adults by technology and engineering consultancy Expleo Group suggested that people prefer “powerful, but boring” tech that solves real-world problems over flashy gadgets or novelties.

The survey showed that 80 per cent of people deem smart meters useful, due to their long-term potential to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions through better energy management.

A further 41 per cent want to see more innovation in the renewable sector over the coming decade.

However, just 11 per cent of respondents said they would like to see increased investment in home robotics in the next decade, while only 15 per cent said they would like to be able to tour space over the next decade.

Only 19 per cent of respondents were optimistic about the prospect of self-driving vehicles, but slightly more (22 per cent) said they’d be open to introducing more smart technologies, such as voice assistants, into their homes.

Stephen Magennis, UK quality managing director at Expleo, said: “The results of our research suggest that consumers are keen to see technology being used to improve society as a whole and not just bring comfort in our life.

“Today’s businesses should not ignore this or they could face serious backlash from their consumers," he continued. "More than ever, they need to focus on green technology and innovation to positively influence the planet - it is particularly true for businesses in the energy and mobility sectors: reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption, or driving electric vehicles, are top of consumers’ minds.”

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