Attitudes Towards Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom-Survey Analysis

Recent research conducted for Accenture and Utility Week reveals that more than half of the United Kingdom population is in favour of building new nuclear power plants.

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The research found that 88 percent of people considered it important that the United Kingdom reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, but only 25 percent felt that renewables could fill the gap.

The research assessed people's attitude to nuclear power at a time when they are becoming more concerned about the rising cost of energy.

It also looked at people's concerns about climate change and how to fill the looming energy gap and found that people were more concerned about tackling rising levels of carbon dioxide emissions than they were about managing nuclear waste.

Several results in this study highlight that, overall, the United Kingdom population attitude towards nuclear power is rather positive:

• Eighty-eight percent of the respondents believe it is important that the United Kingdom reduces its reliance on fossil-fuelled generated power.
  
  
• In order to achieve it, 85 percent of respondents would prefer the United Kingdom to increase the use of renewable power and 33 percent want to see an increase in nuclear power. But, only 25 percent of respondents think renewables alone can fill in the gap in order to reduce the United Kingdom's reliance on fossil-fuelled generated power.
  
  
• Over half of the respondents believe that the United Kingdom should increase its nuclear power-generating capacity.
  
  
• Over the past five years, support towards nuclear power has increased by 30 percent.

The most important reasons in favour of an increase in nuclear power can also be seen as the major prerequisite for people's acceptance:

• Efficient nuclear waste handling arrangements
• Guarantees on nuclear safety
• Efficient decommissioning arrangements
• Lack of security of supply for oil and gas

Spontaneously, respondents also mention nuclear power is a cleaner energy and that the increase of nuclear power would allow the United Kingdom to be self-reliant or less reliant on other countries to provide energy.

The lack of confidence/evidence on nuclear safety, efficient waste handling arrangements and decommissioning arrangements also act as the main deterrent towards the increase of nuclear power along with the belief that other renewable sources of energy are available and should be investigated.

For the next 20 years, 51 percent of respondents said they were more concerned about an increase in carbon dioxide emissions rather than an increase in nuclear waste.

People living next to a nuclear plant have an opinion on the future of nuclear power more positive than the rest of the population.

There are gender and generational differences of opinion within the sample with men and those 55 and older clearly more in favour of an increase in nuclear power than women and younger respondents.

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