The Nuclear Alliance vs. the Friends of Renewables: environmental conflicts and nuclear energy in the European Union

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between nuclear energy and environmental conflicts in the European Union (EU). This study examines the factors and contexts that contribute to the rise of these conflicts in the context of nuclear projects, facilities and investments.

Design/methodology/approach

Focusing on a 60-year period from 1965 to 2025, this study analyses 54 conflicts associated with nuclear energy and its related supply chain in the EU. The authors perform a multi-case study analysis of four countries – the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Spain – and their place within two like-minded blocs of EU members states: the Nuclear Alliance, which supports nuclear energy, and the Friends of Renewables, which opposes it.

Findings

The results show that both blocs use arguments related to energy transition and climate change mitigation to justify their policies and initiatives, increasing the risk of environmental conflicts across the EU. The analysis identifies two factors that further exacerbate these conflicts: the level of support provided by EU national governments to nuclear energy, and the “nuclear legacy” left by previous energy policies carried out in individual EU member states.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on environmental conflicts associated with nuclear energy projects and infrastructures. There is a paucity of research on this topic, and while this study offers an original contribution to the literature, it does not address environmental conflicts in other sectors or industries.

Practical implications

The findings offer multiple insights for EU and national policymakers seeking to reassess the impact of nuclear power in policies designed to advance the transition towards more sustainable energy sources. In particular, they underscore the importance of anti-nuclear movements and wider place-based activism in shaping nuclear energy policy narratives across the EU.

Social implications

An increasing divide has emerged between EU member states that support and those that oppose nuclear energy. This polarisation hinders policymakers’ ability to find common ground in the design, development and implementation of future sustainability policies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relationship between environmental conflicts over nuclear energy and related state policies at the EU level. It offers a novel, timely contribution to the literature and establishes a solid foundation for research into environmental conflicts in the nuclear sector and beyond.