Implementing the Precautionary Principle through Stakeholder Engagement for Product and Service Development

Abstract

The precautionary principle can be integrated into the decision making process during the conception of products and services in a perspective of sustainable development as a complement to Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). This can assist stakeholders in arriving at just and fair decisions based on the complexity and uncertainty of data. LCA provides powerful insights for addressing the environmental aspects of sustainability. Based on an attitude of prevention, LCA seeks to reduce a product’s negative impacts by assessing the various phases of a product’s life-cycle and taking appropriate action. However, in cases of uncertainty of harm, it is not obvious how to define an appropriate course of action because the LCA process is not equipped to deal with a fundamental lack of data. Decisions cannot therefore be easily legitimized. By integrating the precautionary principle through stakeholder engagement, in the perspective of an ethic for the future, such decisions could ultimately be justified and can complement the existing LCA process. This approach becomes pertinent, particularly for stakeholders in their practise of product and service development. Methods such as alternative assessment and precautionary deliberation can assist in this shift towards sustainability