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Environmental principles

Environmental principles guide all stakeholders in the manner in which they manage the environment. Some of the principles such as holistic evaluation, internalisation of externalities, the precautionary principle, sustainable development, sense of place, and processes such as the considering of alternatives are discussed under "Applications" (links in left hand column).

Environmental management must place people and their needs at the forefront, and serve their physical, psychological, developmental, cultural and social interests equitably.

Development must be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. This implies that the following be considered before there is any development:

    Disturbance of ecosystems with resulting loss of biological diversity
    Pollution and degradation of the environment
    Disturbance of landscapes and sites of the nation’s cultural heritage
    Production of waste avoided, minimized, re-used, recycled, or disposed of in a responsible manner
    Non-renewable natural resources must be used responsibly and equitably and must take into account the consequences of the depletion of the resource
    The development, use and exploitation of renewable resources and the ecosystems of which they are part must not exceed the level beyond which their integrity is jeopardized
    A risk-averse and cautious approach, which takes into account the limits of current knowledge about the consequences of decisions and actions, be applied
    Negative impacts on the environment and on people’s environmental rights must be anticipated and prevented, and where they cannot be prevented, minimized and remedied

Environmental management must be integrated. It must take into account the effects of decisions on all aspects of the environment and all people in the environment by pursuing the best practical environmental option.

Equitable access to environmental resources, benefits and services to meet basic human needs and ensure human well-being be pursued

The environment is held in public trust for the people, the beneficial use of environmental resources must serve the public interest and the environment must be protected as the people’s common heritage

The polluter must pay for the cost of remedying pollution, environmental degradation and adverse health effects

Sensitive, vulnerable, highly dynamic or stressed ecosystems, such as coastal shores, estuaries, wetlands, and similar systems require specific attention in management and planning procedures, especially where they are subject to significant human resource usage and development pressure.