This is why communication is so important in developing expedient nature conservation policies. It is also the reason why we need a reliable assessment of how much people know about the current status of nature and what they think about specific preservation topics if we are to successfully implement measures to protect nature and biological diversity. A representative survey is carried out every two years to collect comprehensive information on the German population in terms of their knowledge, attitudes and willingness to act in matters of nature, conservation and biological diversity; the results are then made available to interested members of the general public, research bodies, and national players involved in conservation on the political stage and in the field. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight three main topics of the future captured in the 2013 Nature Awareness Study: ‘the energy transition’, ‘ecologically sound consumption’ and ‘biological diversity’.