Precautionary Principle

The Precautionary Principle is a...

Basis in Law
One of the most important declarations of the precautionary principle in international law can be found in the Rio Declaration. Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration reads: "In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. 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.”