Sustainability assessments of nuclear energy and its role in future energy policies have to take into account several inter-related considerations of social, economic and environmental nature. While EU policies argue for the integration of these considerations in a coherent and mutually reinforcing way, the social dimension has often remained underdeveloped compared to the economic and environmental counterparts. This is mostly due to the intangible nature of social aspects which cannot be readily assessed through standard measurement systems, and that require instead the consideration of the subjective, value-based perspectives, of various stakeholders.

This session aims at bringing together scholars and practitioners from various fields, including nuclear energy, sustainability, and social sciences and humanities, to share insights into current practices and ongoing research regarding the integration of the social considerations in sustainability assessments for nuclear energy.

Key questions include, but are not limited to:

• What aspects of social sustainability are – or should be – accounted for in sustainability assessments?
• To what extent, and in which ways, are social considerations integrated into energy models and decision-making tools and processes?
• Whose perspectives are (not) accounted for?
• How are institutions integrating insights from multiple disciplines, as well as from non-governmental actors and citizens?
• What are the remaining challenges and opportunities?

The session invites the submission of contributions addressing these or related research questions. The ultimate goal of the session is to advance our understanding of the importance of integrating the social dimension in the assessment of the sustainability of nuclear energy, and to promote the development of a more holistic and inclusive approach to sustainability assessment in this field.