nucleareurope discusses public acceptance of nuclear at AIN stakeholder engagement event

On 10 December 2025, nucleareurope Communications and Advocacy Director Jessica Johnson participated in a Rome-held event, organised by the Italian Nuclear Association (AIN), which explored how stakeholder engagement can help Italy move from words to action on nuclear.

As part of the event, Jessica gave a keynote address on public acceptance of nuclear in various European countries. She highlighted than in many countries, such as Belgium and Finland, public acceptance of nuclear has increased in the past decade: Belgium has for example seen a dramatic shift in public perception of nuclear, from 59% of the population opposed to nuclear in 2013 to only 16% in 2024.

“Although experiences differ depending on the countries, the general outlook in Europe is that public support for nuclear is growing. Surveys in the UK show us that factors such as sustainability, job creation and energy sovereignty are key drivers of citizen support for nuclear, while factors such as safety concerns, impact on the local fauna and flora and impact on house prices are among those that negatively influence perspectives.” highlighted Jesssica, adding that such drivers can differ depending on countries and regions.

Jessica then delved into the effects this increase in public acceptance has on policy. She listed multiple recent positive policy developments, such as the nuclear phase out overturn in Belgium, the green party no longer opposing nuclear in Finland, and plans for new nuclear, as well as the lift of a ban on uranium mining, in Sweden.

Concluding her intervention, Jessica stressed that each Gigawatt (GW) of installed nuclear capacity supports around 10 thousand jobs, and that political support for nuclear can also reinforce the attractiveness of the sector for workers, ultimately helping the industry face its EU skills shortages.