Procedural fairness and safety in the acceptance of nuclear waste disposal in Germany: an empirical study

Both theoretical and empirical publications in the risk perception literature indicate a negative relationship between trust (or confidence) and the perception of risk with respect to a technology. In the case of nuclear waste management, Germans generally perceive there to be high risks, and the authorities are trying to increase trust to reduce that perception. A recent study determined that, when selecting a site for a deep geological repository in a community, trust is more important for acceptance of the decision-making procedure than it is for acceptance of the repository itself. In this study, we further investigate the relationship between perceived fairness, trust, in terms of confidence and acceptance of the site selection procedure, and the relationship between risk and safety in the acceptance of a repository. A questionnaire was administered online to a sample comprising N = 2490 German citizens (50% women) to investigate respondents’ opinions on the named variables. Correlations and regression analysis were applied to examine the data. The results indicate that confidence in institutions and acceptance of the procedure increase if it is perceived to be fair; similarly, acceptance of the repository itself increases with the belief that it can be safe. These results enhance the knowledge about how perceived fairness and safety together with confidence support acceptance of the procedure and a repository itself. Suggestions are made regarding how to measure the value-related variables of fairness and safety, and future research directions are discussed.