A new poll in 23 countries by Canadian pollster GlobeScan, conducted for the BBC, suggests that nuclear power for electricity generation is not attracting majority public approval in any of the countries where the research was undertaken.

The poll, conducted between July and September this year, shows the highest support in China (42%), Nigeria (41%), Pakistan (39%), USA (39%), UK (37%), Ghana (33%), and Egypt (31%). In all other countries where the poll was conducted, support for new reactors was among less than 30% of those polled. In France, with the highest percentage of power from operating reactors, public support for new reactors stood at 15%. In Germany, where the government has decided to close reactors, public support for new reactors stands at 7%. Neither Canada nor Iran were included in the survey.

The poll also indicates that the belief that conservation and renewable energy can fill the gap left, if there is a move away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, is now the consensus view.

Detailed poll results, methodology, and comparison with results from similar research conducted in 2005, are available at http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbc2011_energy/