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It became enshrined as the fifteenth principle of the June 1992 Declaration of the Rio Conference on Environment and Development, which states that ‘here there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation’ (Jacobs 1995, p. 193) and grew in popularity in European policy circles during the 1980s.

The concept of a ‘ precautionary principle’ arose in West Germany in the 1970s (O'Riordan and Jordan 1995, p. Golding, in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2001 Before turning to examine these in greater detail, it is first useful to give a brief overview of the PP’s inception and early implementation.ĭ. As the following discussion should illustrate, the PP is not without practical and conceptual difficulties. At the same time, however, it has proved to be a source of considerable controversy and confusion. Its development is well documented in the abundant literature on the subject, and it is widely thought of as a hallmark of contemporary risk regulation. It is now one of the most influential principles in applied ethics and policy relating to environmental and health protection.

As Cross explains, “he appeal of the principle makes it a candidate for consensus, among a public otherwise deeply divided about environmental policies” ( Cross, 1996: 851).įrom its origin in the environmental field, the use of the PP has spread to health protection, the non-environmental aspects of the regulation of new biotechnologies, and to applied ethics itself. The point is straightforward and, in its broadest sense, reflects the proverb ‘better safe than sorry’. Decisions may be taken before those consequences are fully understood. The fact that the consequences of a particular activity are difficult to predict ought not to deter decision-makers from taking steps to avoid, or at least reduce, the prospect of harm. Unlike early environmental policies that tended to develop reactively to point-source pollution, the PP places a premium on anticipatory approaches to threats whose implications have yet to materialize.Īt its heart lies the notion that protective measures may be adopted notwithstanding significant uncertainties surrounding the likelihood or magnitude of potential risks. Originally a creature of environmental law and policy, it emerged in the 1970s from a growing recognition of the global, potentially irreversible and largely unknown effects of greenhouse gases and associated climate change. The precautionary principle (PP) is a decision-making tool to assist in dealing with highly uncertain risks. Stokes, in Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (Second Edition), 2012 Background Shifting the responsibility for providing evidence to the proponents of an activity.S. Increasing public participation in decision making.ĥ. Considering the full cost of environmental and health impacts over time.Ĥ. Exploring alternatives, including the alternative of 'no action.'ģ. Taking anticipatory action to prevent harm in the face of scientific uncertainty.Ģ. The precautionary principle is increasingly recognized as a foundation for decision making to protect human heath and the environment.

Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.' The roots of the precautionary principle can be traced to statements by Aldo Leopold (1949) and Sir Austin Bradford Hill (1965), and it is also addressed in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992: 'In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Subsequently known as the Wingspread Statement, the precautionary principle was defined as follows: “When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” On Januthe precautionary principle was defined at a weekend meeting at Wingspread, headquarters of the Johnson Foundation in Racine, Wisconsin. Originally published as a bulletin feature for the newsletter of CHE-WA (Collaborative on Health and the Environment, Washington State chapter) produced by Steven G.

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Lessons Learned: Looking Back to Go ForwardĪ series of articles exploring historical events that provide an important lesson for ensuring a more sustainable and healthy environment.

Precautionary principle