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Nuclear waste disposal represents one of the biggest socio-economic challenges of this century and probably for many centuries to come. It is a highly complex issue due to the interrelated technical, material, social, economic and political dimensions as well as the real or perceived risks involved. Distrust in technology, institutions, industry and even experts and decision-making processes are some of the reasons for opposition to nuclear waste disposal strategies. Our contribution analyses the dynamics of trust and distrust in Germany over the evolution of the search for a nuclear waste repository site in the last 40 years, identifies major turning points and explores the main factors that shaped trust/distrust relations over time. Site selection conflicts have often provoked ‘confidence gaps’ and site selection policies depend heavily on relationships based on mutual recognition and trust. We select key factors considered necessary to build trust in institutions and siting selection procedures and review recent changes in the institutional setting, including the establishment of a National Civil Society Board and the attempt to design more participatory procedures. Twenty-one stakeholders and experts were asked to rate some of the identified factors necessary for building trust and whether the measures carried out so far are sufficient to enhance trust in the relevant institutions and procedures and increase public confidence. Without a trust-building process for the siting, development and operation of a risky asset, a short-term attenuation of long-lasting conflicts is unlikely. The legacy of the past still plays an inhibiting role. In addition to expert judgement, evidence was derived from document analysis and participatory observation in the works of the German ‘Commission on the Storage of High-level Radioactive Waste’ and of the ‘National Civil Society Board’ as well as of events of regulator and operator.

Confidence gap or timid trust building? The role of trust in the evolution of the nuclear waste governance in Germany