Development of an assessment methodology and interdisciplinary analysis of the nuclear value chain with regard to sustainability

Assessing the sustainability of nuclear energy poses a particular methodological challenge because nuclear technologies have impacts that occur across highly diverse temporal and spatial scales and also vary significantly in terms of their probabilities and institutional prerequisites. This leads to discrepancies and inconsistencies in previous sustainability assessments. The central challenge here is the methodological integration of different types of impacts and normative requirements. This project therefore aims to develop a methodologically robust, scientific, comprehensive, and transparent approach—legitimized through stakeholder participation—that enables the systematic assessment of sustainability in the nuclear energy sector. In doing so, social and governance aspects, such as participation, risk awareness, intergenerational responsibility, or institutional stability, must be given equal consideration alongside ecological and economic criteria. The assessment framework must also be sufficiently differentiated to adequately reflect the nuclear-specific sustainability risks associated with severe accidents, the final disposal of radioactive waste, and proliferation risks. On this basis, the project will ultimately conduct a scientifically sound analysis of the nuclear value chain in comparison with a reference technology.