TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of sustainability in nuclear energy plans

T2 - What do national energy strategies tell us?

AU - Gralla, Fabienne

AU - John, Beatrice

AU - Abson, David J.

AU - Møller, Anders P.

AU - Bickel, Manuel

AU - Lang, Daniel J.

AU - von Wehrden, Henrik

PY - 2016/12/1

Y1 - 2016/12/1

N2 - Energy supply and use play vital roles in transition towards a sustainable society. Nuclear energy is used or planned to be used in 40 countries globally, yet the contribution of nuclear energy to sustainable development remains an area of contention. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand the framing of sustainability within national energy strategies of countries pursuing or planning to start nuclear energy production. The strategies were analyzed by assessing the occurrence of 56 facets of sustainability grouped into 7 dimensions. In addition, the definitions of sustainability used in the strategies and the information on consultation and public participation in their preparation was reviewed. Most strategies mentioned sustainability but did not provide its explicit definition. Risk, waste management and social aspects of sustainability were mentioned relatively less frequently than to environmental, governance and economic aspects of sustainability. The information on consultation and public participation portrayed a limited extent of such processes.

AB - Energy supply and use play vital roles in transition towards a sustainable society. Nuclear energy is used or planned to be used in 40 countries globally, yet the contribution of nuclear energy to sustainable development remains an area of contention. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand the framing of sustainability within national energy strategies of countries pursuing or planning to start nuclear energy production. The strategies were analyzed by assessing the occurrence of 56 facets of sustainability grouped into 7 dimensions. In addition, the definitions of sustainability used in the strategies and the information on consultation and public participation in their preparation was reviewed. Most strategies mentioned sustainability but did not provide its explicit definition. Risk, waste management and social aspects of sustainability were mentioned relatively less frequently than to environmental, governance and economic aspects of sustainability. The information on consultation and public participation portrayed a limited extent of such processes.

KW - Energy strategy

KW - Nuclear energy

KW - Nuclear energy countries

KW - Sustainability

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Chemistry

KW - Energy research

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84987914572&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/c52dd3a9-3e58-38c8-be80-9b27cfa7db76/

U2 - 10.1016/j.erss.2016.09.003

DO - 10.1016/j.erss.2016.09.003

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84987914572

VL - 22

SP - 94

EP - 106

JO - Energy Research and Social Science

JF - Energy Research and Social Science

SN - 2214-6296

ER -