Part V The Environment and Natural Resources, 15 Legal Aspects of the Protection of the Environment

Subject(s):

Precautionary principle — Sustainable development — Endangered species — Climate change — Marine environment, protection

This chapter begins with a discussion of the role of international law in addressing environmental problems. It then reviews the following legal principles: the preventive principle, the precautionary principle, the concept of sustainable development, the polluter-pays principle, the sic utere tuo principle, and the obligation of environmental impact assessment. Next, the chapter details the development of multilateral standard-setting conventions that cover traffic in endangered species, protection of the ozone layer, transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, climate change, and protection of the marine environment.