Can Quantum Physics Help Fight Climate Change? A Thematic Analysis of Press Release Narratives

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how press releases frame quantum technologies as solutions to climate change, aiming to understand discourse and promote democratization of these emerging technologies.

Contribution

It provides a thematic analysis of press release narratives to explore how quantum technologies are presented as climate solutions, addressing a gap in understanding discourse framing.

Findings

Press releases often emphasize quantum technology's potential for climate solutions.

Narratives highlight innovation and urgency in adopting quantum technologies for climate action.

Discourse varies across academia, government, and industry sectors.

Abstract

The climate crisis demands innovative solutions and quantum technologies are considered by some a potential solution (Berger et al., 2021; Calvin et al., 2023). The United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (United Nations, 2024), focusing on applications for quantum technologies. Quantum technologies, leveraging quantum mechanics, offer unprecedented computational power (Ajagekar & You, 2022) and sensitivity (Schleich et al., 2016) that could revolutionize various sectors, including climate action. However, an understanding of how discourse from academia, government, and industry frames quantum technologies as a climate solution is lacking (Suter, Ma, & P\"ohlmann, 2024). This research aims to fill this gap by analyzing the narratives in press releases and helping inform a successful democratization of quantum technologies.