Renewable energy acceptance and responsible actors: unravelling the influence of trust in governments and corporations

Abstract Background The global transition towards renewable energy (RE) is essential for mitigating climate change and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. However, this transformation faces significant challenges related to public acceptance, which is shaped by social, environmental, and economic concerns. Among the many factors influencing acceptance, trust in institutions plays a particularly critical role as energy transition policies involve high levels of uncertainty, long-term impacts, and an asymmetry of information, which requires citizens to rely on institutional actors when evaluating risks and benefits. Existing research often fails to differentiate trust in actors, particularly between government and corporations. This study addresses this gap by examining how different forms of institutional trust shape perceptions of RE technologies in Germany, including perceived benefits, perceived disadvantages, and affective responses. Results Based on a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative structural equation modelling using a representative telephone survey ( N = 1155), the findings reveal a differentiated trust landscape. Trust in government is associated with stronger perceived benefits and lower perceived disadvantages of RE, but simultaneously with higher levels of negative emotional responses, potentially reflecting frustration with bureaucratic processes and unmet expectations. In contrast, trust in corporations is linked to more positive affective responses, while at the same time reducing perceived benefits and increasing perceived disadvantages, indicating skepticism toward corporate motives despite optimism about technological innovation. Conclusions The results demonstrate that institutional trust does not function as a uniformly positive driver of RE acceptance, but rather as a complex and actor-specific mechanism involving both cognitive and affective evaluations. By differentiating between governmental and corporate trust, the study extends existing acceptance models and highlights important implications for policy and communication strategies. Strengthening trust in government requires transparency and participatory governance, whereas fostering trust in corporations depends on accountability, fairness, and the clear communication of public benefits.