The importance of politics on precautionary principles’ implementation in the environmental sector: cases and examples of Indonesia and Australia

Abstract

The United Nations’ arrangement to establish the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in 1992 can be perceived as an effort to enforce sustainability efforts in the environmental sector. The declaration’s main principles are about the interdependent and indivisible relations between peace, development, and environmental protection. The Rio Declaration also mentions the term precautionary principle that could be implemented by the industrial actors in the countries but not limited to them. Countries that put ratification on it are directly binding to hold the mandate as one of the main actors in control of environmental protection. This study attempted to examine some countries’ government action toward formulation and implementation of environmental policy regarding the precautionary principle as the embodiment of the Rio Declaration 1992. This study will use descriptive qualitative methodology with data based on cases in Indonesia and Australia. The findings will explain the direct and indirect correlations within the government and industrial actors about the precautionary principle in the action. In addition, the result of this study indicates how politics plays a powerful role in the implementation of the precautionary principle.