What do people mean by the Precautionary Approach or Precautionary Principle?
The concept of a precautionary approach as public policy has emerged in recent years in domestic and international discussions. One of the many interpretations of the precautionary approach is the well-known Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. The RSC report notes, as do other academics and scientists, that there is a great deal of debate about the meaning of precaution as a decision-making concept. For example, one study identified 14 different interpretations of the concept (see Foster et al, 2000, on page 195 of the RSC report). However, in essence, the precautionary approach means that, in the absence of full scientific certainty, evaluators will endeavour to make decisions that avoid or minimize potential adverse environmental effects due to new or emerging risks of serious or irreversible harm. Governments recognize that a framework is needed to guide science-based decision making, particularly in situations of scientific uncertainty where there is
