2.3 The Concept of Sustainability
15
DDT. In all of these cases, early indications of potential problems were available,
but action was taken only slowly and/or to an insufficient extent. In other words,
precautionary action often would have been appropriate and would have prevented
serious damage. The cases show that the cost of inaction can be very high, including
direct financial costs for companies. On the other hand, only a very small number
of false positives were identified, i.e., cases where the early warnings did not
indicate major problems to come. A list of 12 “late lessons” is presented in both
reports, and already the first three of them (quoted below) highlight how important
it is to acknowledge the presence of incomplete knowledge, deep uncertainty, and
unexpected outcomes (p. 168–169 in European Environment Agency (2002)):
• “acknowledge and respond to ignorance, as well as uncertainty and risk, in
technology appraisal and public policymaking,
• provide adequate long-term environmental and health monitoring and research
into early warnings,
• identify and work to reduce “blind spots” and gaps in scientific knowledge.”
Finally, there is an unresolved issue connected with the precautionary principle.
On the one hand, the precautionary principle provides a convincing logical scheme
that accommodates uncertainty and ignorance and supports (regulatory) action even
in cases where the available evidence is not (yet) fully conclusive. It does so by
emphasizing the possibility of strong adverse impacts that may become manifest
and, once they have materialized, would cause (extremely) high costs.
On the other hand, there is a pervasive problem caused by the lack of conclusive
evidence: the point that absence of evidence is often taken for evidence of absence.
This is a logical fallacy, but this fallacy seems to be highly tempting to some
scientists and decision-makers. Chemical hazard and risk assessments with limited
data are often concluded with a negative outcome (“no hazard”) although the
insufficient data basis would require additional testing. This problem could be
overcome if chemicals with insufficient data had to be labeled as “insufficiently
tested” and if this label implied disadvantages for the marketing of such chemicals,
as suggested by Hansson and Rudén (2006).
2.3
The Concept of Sustainability
2.3.1 Sustainable Development and Its Implementation
The concept of sustainable development was defined by the UN Commission on
Environment and Development in the report Our Common Future (also known as
the Brundtland Report) published in 1987 (UN, 1987):
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
15
DDT. In all of these cases, early indications of potential problems were available,
but action was taken only slowly and/or to an insufficient extent. In other words,
precautionary action often would have been appropriate and would have prevented
serious damage. The cases show that the cost of inaction can be very high, including
direct financial costs for companies. On the other hand, only a very small number
of false positives were identified, i.e., cases where the early warnings did not
indicate major problems to come. A list of 12 “late lessons” is presented in both
reports, and already the first three of them (quoted below) highlight how important
it is to acknowledge the presence of incomplete knowledge, deep uncertainty, and
unexpected outcomes (p. 168–169 in European Environment Agency (2002)):
• “acknowledge and respond to ignorance, as well as uncertainty and risk, in
technology appraisal and public policymaking,
• provide adequate long-term environmental and health monitoring and research
into early warnings,
• identify and work to reduce “blind spots” and gaps in scientific knowledge.”
Finally, there is an unresolved issue connected with the precautionary principle.
On the one hand, the precautionary principle provides a convincing logical scheme
that accommodates uncertainty and ignorance and supports (regulatory) action even
in cases where the available evidence is not (yet) fully conclusive. It does so by
emphasizing the possibility of strong adverse impacts that may become manifest
and, once they have materialized, would cause (extremely) high costs.
On the other hand, there is a pervasive problem caused by the lack of conclusive
evidence: the point that absence of evidence is often taken for evidence of absence.
This is a logical fallacy, but this fallacy seems to be highly tempting to some
scientists and decision-makers. Chemical hazard and risk assessments with limited
data are often concluded with a negative outcome (“no hazard”) although the
insufficient data basis would require additional testing. This problem could be
overcome if chemicals with insufficient data had to be labeled as “insufficiently
tested” and if this label implied disadvantages for the marketing of such chemicals,
as suggested by Hansson and Rudén (2006).
2.3
The Concept of Sustainability
2.3.1 Sustainable Development and Its Implementation
The concept of sustainable development was defined by the UN Commission on
Environment and Development in the report Our Common Future (also known as
the Brundtland Report) published in 1987 (UN, 1987):
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.