The ECOSENS project was featured at the 11th European Commission Conference on EURATOM Research and Training in Reactor Safety & Radioactive Waste Management (EURADWASTE ’25), held in Warsaw from 12–16 May 2025. Three posters highlighted key objectives of ECOSENS and research from Work Package 1, focusing on societal perspectives regarding nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and from Work Package 3, addressing System of Provision model for the energy sector allowing application of the social discount rate and circular economy principles.
Findings reveal diverse national attitudes toward SMRs, with public perception shaped by concerns about safety, waste, and cost. The research also emphasizes the importance of transparent communication, stakeholder engagement, and participatory governance in shaping nuclear energy futures. Case studies across Europe further explored social acceptance, the resilience of nuclear systems, and sustainability in the context of the circular economy. In the ECOSENS a new model for estimating the Social Discount Rate (SDR) tailored to nuclear energy investments in the EU was developed and applied in several national context, highlighting long-term sustainability and intergenerational fairness.
ECOSENS continues to foster dialogue between scientists, policymakers, and the public to inform socially responsible energy policies. Learn more at: https://ecosens-project.eu