The Precautionary Principle

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development explores the precautionary principle, a guide in international environmental law that advocates for taking protective action even in the absence of full scientific certainty to avoid serious or irreversible damage.

• The precautionary principle is defined as a guide rather than a strict rule, with a widely recognized definition in Principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration stating that "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."
• A central and controversial feature of the precautionary principle is the reversal of the burden of proof; instead of the claimant proving harm, the "individual or entity proposing the activity must prove the activity is not harmful."
• The principle originated in Sweden through the Environmental Protection Act of 1969, which allowed authorities to take preventive measures or ban activities based on the "mere risk of an environmental hazard."
• The precautionary principle is integrated into several major international agreements, including the 1987 Montreal Protocol, the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, and Article 3 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which mandates that parties "take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent, or minimize the causes of climate change."
• Practical applications of the principle include the establishment of moratoriums on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in countries such as Germany and Peru to prevent potential negative impacts on biodiversity and public health.
• The application of the principle can lead to negative trade-offs; for example, Japan's decision to close nuclear facilities after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster resulted in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and higher energy prices due to a reliance on imported fossil fuels.
• The principle has been a point of contention in trade disputes, such as the World Trade Organization case where the European Union banned beef products containing artificial growth hormones, citing a lack of scientific consensus on health effects.

APA

Ph.D.,, J. F. P.-B. (2020). The Precautionary Principle. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/precautionary-principle

Chicago

Ph.D.,, Jose Felix Pinto-Bazurco. The Precautionary Principle. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/precautionary-principle.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ph.D., |first1=Jose Felix Pinto-Bazurco |title=The Precautionary Principle |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=23 October 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/precautionary-principle |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{phd2020precautionary, author = {Ph.D.,, Jose Felix Pinto-Bazurco}, title = {{The Precautionary Principle}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/precautionary-principle}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }