Social Aspects of Standard Setting

We often hear that trust in the decisions about human health and environment made by government has rarely been lower, yet public expectations about transparency and consultation are growing. The development of environmental standards is no exception, but levels of public and stakeholder engagement in the process are currently low, and even where they take place at all, usually it is only after proposals are well developed. 

We argue that those involved in standard setting need to respond to these concerns. Specifically, we need to ensure that the process for delivering standards takes account of any unintended consequences (e.g., the costs of meeting a standard), and that the outcome provides a reasonable balance between environmental protection and regulatory costs. Furthermore, the process must be transparent and auditable. This means it should be participatory, communicative, and inclusive. If this can be achieved, the outcomes are more likely to be trusted by all those who are affected by the standards that are eventually introduced. 

It is helpful to make clear some principles and assumptions that continue throughout the rest of this chapter. We first examine the different types of standards that are used (typological issues) and their role in environmental regulation. We then outline a framework for deriving a new standard that attempts to incorporate social and economic factors into our decision making. 

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