Book contents
- Intergenerational Justice in Sustainable Development Treaty Implementation
- Treaty Implementation for Sustainable Development
- Intergenerational Justice in Sustainable Development Treaty Implementation
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Notes on Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Theoretical Framework for International Legal Principles of Intergenerational Equity and Implementation through National Institutions
- Part I Introduction to Treaty Law on Intergenerational Justice and Codifying Sustainability
- Part II Key Challenges in Domestic Implementation of Intergenerational Justice
- Part III Law and Policy Innovations for Intergenerational Justice
- Constitutional Challenges and Innovations for Future Generations
- Promoting the Voice of the Public
- Economic Aspects of Intergenerational Justice
- Addressing Science, Scientific Uncertainty, and Precaution
- 16 Scientific Uncertainty as a Key Obstacle to Efficient Legal Protection of the Environmental Interests of Future Generations
- 17 Transformative Knowledge and Solutions in Sustainability Governance
- Part IV Implementing Sustainability through National Institutions: Case Studies
- Part V Regional Trends in Intergenerational Justice
- Part VI Future Trends
- Afterword
- Table of Authorities
16 - Scientific Uncertainty as a Key Obstacle to Efficient Legal Protection of the Environmental Interests of Future Generations
from Addressing Science, Scientific Uncertainty, and Precaution
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 October 2021
- Intergenerational Justice in Sustainable Development Treaty Implementation
- Treaty Implementation for Sustainable Development
- Intergenerational Justice in Sustainable Development Treaty Implementation
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Notes on Contributors
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The Theoretical Framework for International Legal Principles of Intergenerational Equity and Implementation through National Institutions
- Part I Introduction to Treaty Law on Intergenerational Justice and Codifying Sustainability
- Part II Key Challenges in Domestic Implementation of Intergenerational Justice
- Part III Law and Policy Innovations for Intergenerational Justice
- Constitutional Challenges and Innovations for Future Generations
- Promoting the Voice of the Public
- Economic Aspects of Intergenerational Justice
- Addressing Science, Scientific Uncertainty, and Precaution
- 16 Scientific Uncertainty as a Key Obstacle to Efficient Legal Protection of the Environmental Interests of Future Generations
- 17 Transformative Knowledge and Solutions in Sustainability Governance
- Part IV Implementing Sustainability through National Institutions: Case Studies
- Part V Regional Trends in Intergenerational Justice
- Part VI Future Trends
- Afterword
- Table of Authorities
Summary
Making environmental policy is essentially an act of balancing the short-term economic interests of present generations and the long-term environmental benefits of posterity. Such balancing ultimately rests on a value judgment, which is formed on the basis of economic, ethical, and scientific considerations of stakeholders. This chapter focuses on the latter aspect of environmental policy-making, namely, the problems that arise in taking into due account the scientific facts in such balancing. It will explore the reasons why scientific warnings on environmental degradation or the risk thereof are often incapable of driving policy decisions, and it will discuss how invoking trust obligations of States may promote a balance that is more sensitive to scientists’ inputs.
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- Information
- Intergenerational Justice in Sustainable Development Treaty ImplementationAdvancing Future Generations Rights through National Institutions, pp. 295 - 314Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021