What principle dictates that the polluter should bear the costs of pollution mitigation?

The principle that dictates that the polluter should bear the costs of pollution mitigation is known as the Polluter Pays Principle. This principle is foundational in environmental economics and policy, emphasizing that those who produce pollution should be responsible for the costs associated with managing and mitigating that pollution. By requiring the polluter to pay for the damages they cause, the principle creates a financial incentive for businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions and adopt cleaner practices.

This principle aligns with the broader concept of accountability, promoting responsible environmental stewardship and ensuring that the economic burdens of environmental degradation do not fall on the public or on those who are not responsible for the pollution. As such, it serves as an important mechanism for encouraging sustainable development and environmental responsibility.

The other principles mentioned, like the Pollution Prevention Principle, focus on avoiding pollution at its source, while the Precautionary Principle emphasizes proactive measures to prevent harm when scientific consensus is lacking. The Waste Reduction Principle aims at minimizing waste generation overall. While these are all important in their own right, they do not specifically allocate the costs of pollution to the polluter, which is the core idea of the Polluter Pays Principle.