Exploring public acceptance of nuclear waste in Taiwan, China: investigating the impact of perceived risks and benefits of nuclear energy

Abstract Nuclear energy has become a complicated and controversial issue. The public perception of controversial issues in general has an influential role in this policy debate. With representative data (N = 1,933) from Taiwan, China, this study explores the factors that influence public acceptance of nuclear waste facilities and suggests a moderating mediation model of their acceptance. This study finds that public acceptance of nuclear waste facilities is typically a psychological perception issue, rather than a political one which is quite different from public acceptance of nuclear energy. In addition, this study finds that perceived environmental justice is a significant variable in the relationship between risk perception of nuclear waste and public acceptance of nuclear waste facilities. Further, this study also summarizes a moderated mediation model of the public’s acceptance of nuclear waste facilities and reveals the risk perception of nuclear energy weakens, while the benefit perception of nuclear energy strengthens the relationship between the risk perception of nuclear waste facilities and public acceptance of nuclear waste facilities. Furthermore, a substitutional relationship between the risk perception of nuclear energy and the risk perception of nuclear waste facilities was identified. Policy implications based on the empirical results are also discussed.