Public Attitude towards Nuclear and Renewable Energy as a Factor of Their Development in a Circular Economy Frame: Two Case Studies

Anzhelika Karaeva, Elena Magaril, Vincenzo Torretta, Paolo Viotti and Elena Cristina Rada
Additional contact information
Anzhelika Karaeva: Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Insubria University of Varese, Via G.B. Vico 46, 21100 Varese, Italy
Vincenzo Torretta: Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Insubria University of Varese, Via G.B. Vico 46, 21100 Varese, Italy
Paolo Viotti: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza, Eudossiana Str., 18, 00184 Roma, Italy
Elena Cristina Rada: Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Insubria University of Varese, Via G.B. Vico 46, 21100 Varese, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Nowadays, most countries of the world are implementing the transition to the low-carbon economy which implies the need to carry out a full-scale eco-modernization of the energy sector. Green energy may be identified as one of the core concerns of energy sector modernization as it allows a considerable decrease in emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Therefore, nuclear and renewable energy may become key areas of global energy development in the near future, which is also in agreement with circular economy concepts. However, public opinion (and other controversial visions/aspects) is one of the barriers to their development. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between attitudes towards nuclear and renewable energy in two countries: a EU country (Italy) and a non-EU country (Russia), considering the level of their development. The authors conducted a survey among residents regarding their attitude towards nuclear and renewable energy, as well as their attitude to the present energy policy. The cluster analysis technique was used to analyze the results. The obtained results confirmed the dependence between the level of development of nuclear and renewable energy and the public attitude towards it. The national energy policy also might influence public opinion on the development of nuclear or renewable energy. The authors identified public attitude as one of the key factors in the development of energy and the achievement of environmental and social sustainability.

Keywords: renewable energy; nuclear energy; environmental awareness; circular economy; social sustainability; energy policy; energy sector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1283/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1283/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1283-:d:731892

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().