Public acceptance of fusion energy in Europe

Oltra, Christian (author), Giacometti, Alessio (author), Čok, Vanja (author), Pellegrini-Masini, Giuseppe (author), Meskens, Gaston (author), Turcanu, Catrinel (author), Ferencz, Zoltan (author), Stankiewicz, Piotr (author), Orlando, Maria Teresa (author), Bustreo, Chiara (author)

This study examines public attitudes toward fusion energy in Europe through a comprehensive cross-national survey involving a sample of 19,144 respondents. Following a multidimensional analytical approach, we investigate the distribution of public attitudes, analyse predictive factors influencing support, and assess the impact of information provision on perception. Results reveal predominantly favourable attitudes toward fusion energy, with 57% of participants reporting positive perceptions, 58% expressing acceptance, and 53% supporting expansion following exposure to informational materials. Multiple regression analyses identify several significant predictors of support: pre-existing attitudes toward conventional nuclear power demonstrate substantial predictive influence, while affective responses and perceived environmental benefits emerge as critical determinants. Experimental manipulation of information provision produces statistically significant effects on attitudinal distributions, with recipients of detailed information on the technology's consequences demonstrating higher support (55.4% vs. 51.6%) compared to those receiving general information. More substantially, support increases significantly from baseline to post-information assessment (mean support on a 1–5 scale rose from M = 3.06 to M = 3.52). These findings illuminate the complex interplay of factors shaping public evaluations of fusion energy and carry implications for communication strategies and public engagement initiatives as the research on this technology progresses toward the commercialization phase.

• Language: English
• Keywords: fusion energy, public perception, cross-national survey, attitude
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 9 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 222, art. 115430
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-173646
• UDC: 316.654:621.039
• ISSN on article: 0920-3796
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2025.115430
• COBISS.SI-ID: 249604867
• Publication date in RUL: 19.09.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Fusion engineering and design
• Shortened title: Fusion eng. des.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0920-3796
• COBISS.SI-ID: 15359237

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fuzijska energija, javno mnenje, mednarodna raziskava, odnos

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Project number: 101052200
• Name: Implementation of activities described in the Roadmap to Fusion during Horizon Europe through a joint programme of the members of the EUROfusion consortium
• Acronym: EUROfusion