Energy and Environment Program

II. The Aspen Principles: The Foundation for a New System

The Aspen Series has defined and declared a set of broad, underlying principles as a foundation for a new system of environmental protection and enhancement. These principles should be read as a collective set, with no rank ordering. Certain principles have been elaborated in subsequent chapters, while others will be the subject of further work by the Aspen Series. Actual experience of implementation may suggest future changes in the wording of the principles.

1. Environmental protection goals should underlie a new system and be clear and measurable.
2. Methods for achieving environmental goals should be more flexible and promote innovation.

Offer incentives and encourage achievement beyond compliance.
Encourage a wide variety of methods to be used to achieve goals, such as:
- market-based methods, including pricing, tax, subsidy and polluter pay policies
- technology-based methods
- information-based methods
- prevention-based methods
Encourage cost-efficiency and consider local and regional conditions.
Reduce dependence on highly-prescriptive methods; apply prescriptive methods only where appropriate.

3. All parties should be explicitly accountable to each other.
4. An integrated systems approach is essential.
5. Inclusive, democratic and stakeholder participatory processes should be used.
6. Science should be applied to advance our understanding of the environment, to inform the assessment of risks, to enrich the public understanding of the issues, to advance technology development, and to identify and monitor environmental impacts.

Communicate clearly assumptions and limitations of science to the public and policy-makers.
Weigh uncertainty of scientific information in the management of risks.
Ensure independence and high quality of scientific inquiry (e.g., employ peer review when appropriate).
Conduct research needed to answer policy questions.

7. Policies to achieve environmental goals should be implemented that minimize economic and social costs for the benefits that are achieved.
8. Environmental policy should be constructed within the limits of natural systems.

The pace of implementation will take into account the limits of human and economic resources.

9. Environmental literacy should be part of a new system because an environmentally literate public would sustain individual responsibility in all capacities and be better able to make informed consumer choices.
10. Environmental concerns should be a central part of public and private decision-making. Environmental, economic, fiscal, energy, resource, social and foreign policies and practices should be integrated.
11. Social and environmental justice should be achieved and basic human needs should be met under a cleaner, cheaper, better environmental management system.

When public policy decisions, including environmental decisions, are made, the implications of social and environmental justice-and the meeting of basic human needs-should be fully considered and addressed.