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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
The Main Principles of Environmental Law
Tran Cong Thiet
Faculty of Economic Law, The University of Law, Hue University, Vietnam.
Email: tcthiet@hueuni.edu.vn | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1504-7122
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 204-224. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
Received: 17 October 2025
Reviewed: 11 November 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 19 November 2025
Revised: 25 November 2025
Finally Accepted: 28 November 2025
Published: 31 December 2025
This article examines the fundamental role and nature of principles within environmental law. Derived etymologically from the Latin principium (foundation), legal principles serve as the bedrock for interpreting law, guiding its application to social relations, and evaluating its societal value. Environmental law principles are highlighted as particularly prevalent and crucial within international law. They define essential traits of legal institutions, establish foundational standards, and fill gaps in codified ("positive") law. While possessing characteristics of fundamental equality, legal certainty, and proportionality, they often function as non-binding guidelines influencing judicial construction and legislative development, with concepts transferable between legal systems. The text specifically analyzes two core, indispensable principles recognized in Vietnam and globally: (1) the Prevention Principle, justified by the frequent irreversibility of environmental damage and focusing on deterring harm through stringent legal provisions; and (2) the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP), formalizing the requirement that polluters bear the costs of cleanup and environmental liability. The PPP's effective application is argued to depend critically on two requirements: penalties commensurate with the environmental impact (parity) and sanctions heavy enough to realistically deter future pollution. The author contends that the consistent and scientific application of the PPP plays a vital role in environmental protection.
Principles of environmental law; International application; Legal liability/deterrence; Polluter pays principle; Prevention principle
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Thiet, T.C. (2025). The Main Principles of Environmental Law. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3): 204-224. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
Thiet, T.C. (2025). The Main Principles of Environmental Law. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(3), 204-224. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
Thiet T.C. The Main Principles of Environmental Law. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (3), 204-224. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
Thiet, Tran Cong. 2025. “The Main Principles of Environmental Law”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 3: 204-224. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
Thiet, Tran Cong. 2025. “The Main Principles of Environmental Law”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (3): 204-224. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080309
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