Online version: PDF - DTIE
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UNIT 3: ENVIRONMENT LAW, VOLUNTARY INITIATIVES AND PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
065<br />
S<br />
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3<br />
Prevention at Source<br />
‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Environment improvement practices should be<br />
applied at the very outset, to prevent the generation of waste and pollution in the<br />
first place. The objective is to move away from end-of-pipe, clean-up approaches<br />
that deal with pollution after it has been created, by avoiding the generation of<br />
waste at source. Prevention at source also paves the way for reducing the material<br />
and energy intensity of processes and products/services.<br />
For example, if a hotel or restaurant starts using less water by installing flowreducers<br />
in taps and water-saving flushers in toilets, it will also significantly<br />
reduce wastewater. This means less wastewater to treat, reducing risk to nearby<br />
waterways. Using less water also results in lower bills, while reduced wastewater<br />
output lowers effluent discharge costs.<br />
The ‘Polluter Pays’ Principle<br />
This principle says that the costs of pollution abatement should be borne by<br />
the polluter. It has been widely accepted and applied in the development of<br />
environment policies on the use of ‘economic instruments’ for environment<br />
improvement, such as pollution taxes, user fees, and levies.<br />
An important question that arises from this is: Who is the polluter? People<br />
often suppose the polluters are manufacturers of goods and services, often<br />
forgetting that consumers are also polluters, since they demand and consume the<br />
products and services that generate the pollution. Governments are also polluters,<br />
either directly as producers and consumers, or indirectly by subsidising polluting<br />
activities.<br />
The ‘polluter pays’ principle provides the framework for the development of<br />
economically viable pollution control strategies. In dealing with pollution costs<br />
and how they should be allocated among polluters, the principle further suggests<br />
that:<br />
• Pollution within a given area and medium (air, land or water) be<br />
controlled up to the point where marginal control cost equals marginal<br />
benefit 2 ;<br />
• The cost of abatement be paid for by polluters in proportion to the type<br />
and volume of their emissions and discharges;<br />
• Those who have the lowest abatement costs carry out the abatement<br />
activity until abatement costs are equalised across all polluters.<br />
The ‘polluter<br />
pays’ principle<br />
provides the<br />
framework for<br />
the development<br />
of economically<br />
viable pollution<br />
control<br />
strategies.<br />
2<br />
Following on from the environment<br />
economics theory of full cost<br />
pricing, pollution control should<br />
take place to the point that the<br />
pollution abatement costs equals<br />
the benefits or damages avoided.<br />
Public Participation<br />
The principle of public participation is concerned with the decision-making<br />
processes that involve all those most likely to be affected by a decision. It dictates<br />
that:<br />
• All groups of society should be able to have their say on matters of<br />
concern;<br />
• Interest groups should be able to participate in discussions that<br />
precede decision-making;<br />
• Relevant groups should be informed about the potential environment<br />
impacts of developments and the measures proposed to reduce them.<br />
The principle<br />
of public<br />
participation is<br />
concerned with<br />
the decisionmaking<br />
processes that<br />
involve all those<br />
most likely to be<br />
affected by a<br />
decision.