Mycle Schneider was born in 1959. Interested in the civil and military use of nuclear energy and concerned that there was so little international information available in France, in 1983 he set up WISE-Paris, as the French connection of the World Information Service on Energy (WISE) International.

The objectives of WISE-Paris are to develop and distribute high quality information in France on the various sources and forms of energy; to increase public comprehension of energy issues, especially the impact of renewable sources and of the civil and military uses on the health and security of present and future generations, and to increase popular involvement in environmental and energy saving issues.

In 1988 Schneider was full-time adviser to the Rainbow Group in the European Parliament on the Inquiry Committee on the Handling and Transport of Nuclear Materials. In 1992 he initiated and was one of the authors of the Worldwatch/Greenpeace/WISE-Paris World Nuclear Status Report. In 1994-95 he co-authored a German TV documentary on the International Commission of Radiological Protection, entitled "With Friendly Recommendation - Radiation Death". He has written many other papers and articles on energy and environmental issues, including a series of reports on the connection of Japanese, Belgian, Dutch and German plutonium as well as Canadian uranium with the French nuclear weapons programme. He also evaluated plutonium transport in Europe for the French Plutonium Forum. Schneider has also put considerable effort into highlighting the risks of the shipments of used nuclear fuel, in particular from Germany and Japan, to the la Hague reprocessing plant for plutonium separation. Schneider considers the plutonium industry to be "the single most threatening industrial activity for mankind and the environment".

In 1991 Schneider went to Japan at the request of Jinzaburo Takagi to participate in an International Plutonium Conference. He was struck by the similarities in the two countries' treatment of the nuclear issue, and the two men started working together on the issues of waste and plutonium shipment between the two countries, a collaboration that still continues, and which was recognised in 1997 by the bestowal of a joint Right Livelihood Award on the two men.

With Japan and France hosting the two remaining large-scale interests in plutonium use, and MOX (uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel) being the only use for plutonium outside fast breeder reactors (FBRs), Schneider started work with Takagi on a two-year intensive international research project on 'A Comprehensive Social Impact Assessment of MOX in Light Water Reactors'.

In 1997 France shut down its Superphénix FBR, and Schneider co-ordinated and edited a 32-page Brochure on a Nuclear Phase-Out, with articles by 14 selected authors on twelve countries - the aim being to highlight France's increasing isolation on nuclear policy. In Japan there was another nuclear accident, this time at the Tokai waste disposal facility, and another abortive attempt at a cover-up. With the escalating costs of reprocessing, and a MITI-imposed moratorium on fast-breeder development, public confidence in the industry in Japan decreased dramatically.

Schneider has given evidence and held briefings at Parliaments in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, UK and at the European Parliament. He has lectured extensively including at universities and engineering schools in various countries. Between 1998 and 2003 he has been an advisor to the French Environment Minister's Office and to the Belgian Minister for Energy and Sustainable Development. Since 2000 he has been a consultant on nuclear issues to the German Environment Ministry.

After 20 years in office, Mycle Schneider left his position as Executive Director of WISE-Paris in April 2003 and now works as independent consultant on energy and nuclear policy. Since 2004 he is in charge of the Environment and Energy Strategies Lecture of the International Master of Science for Project Management for Environmental and Energy Engineering at the French Ecole des Mines in Nantes.