The precautionary principle as a provisional instrument in environmental policy: The Montreal Protocol case study

- I examine whether a policy invoked under the Precautionary Principle can move beyond provisional status.
- I review the certainty of conclusions based upon the Global Ozone Research and Monitoring Project.
- There is high certainty that anthropogenic ozone depletion has health consequences in polar regions.
- Current research focuses on long term projections of risk that perpetuates high uncertainty.
- Establishment of a community to generate Assessments acts to perpetuate the period of uncertainty.