What is the precautionary principle of policy making?
1 Introduction. The ‘precautionary principle’ (hereafter referred to as the PP) requires that public policy include measures to avoid or diminish morally unacceptable harms that may result from human actions. The harms need not be certain outcomes of an action; it is sufficient that they be scientifically plausible.
What is the meaning of precautionary principle?
The precautionary principle enables decision-makers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high.
Which is an example of the precautionary principle in decision-making?
Your decision would most likely depend on how much you trust the source of this information and on the extent of the damage the meteor could cause when it crashes. If you decided to leave your home or office, you would be taking precautionary action, which is one of the expressions of the precautionary principle.
What is the precautionary principle and why is it important?
The precautionary principle asserts that the burden of proof for potentially harmful actions by industry or government rests on the assurance of safety and that when there are threats of serious damage, scientific uncertainty must be resolved in favor of prevention.
Why is the precautionary principle good?
The Precautionary Principle enhances the collection of risk information for, among other items, high production volume chemicals and risk-based analyses in general. It does not eliminate the need for good science or for science-based risk assessments.
When was the precautionary principle used?
1970s
The precautionary principle originated in Europe in the early 1970s, with the development of the German concept Vorsorgeprinzip which advocated ‘long term planning to avoid damage to the environment, early detection of dangers to health and the environment through comprehensive research, and acting in advance of …
How do you use the precautionary principle?
The Precautionary Principle recognizes that delaying action until there is compelling evidence of harm will often mean that it is then too costly or impossible to avert the threat. Use of the principle promotes action to avert risks of serious or irreversible harm to the environment in such cases.
Why is precautionary principle important sustainability?
The precautionary principle is that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing a measure to prevent degradation of the environment where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage.
What is the precautionary principle in sustainability?