Key points in the Rio Declaration

• States have a responsibility not to cause environmental damage beyond their national jurisdiction (Principle 2).
• States should avoid transfer of harmful activities to other States (Principle 14).
• A precautionary approach should be applied (Principle 15).

Key points in the Paris Agreement

• to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (Article 3)
• limiting greenhouse gas emissions will be done on the basis of equity, with peaking of emissions taking longer for developing countries (Article 4).

References

Appendix A: Selected Principles from the Rio Declaration (full text)

The responsibility not to cause environmental damage beyond the national border

Principle 2

States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

[Our emphasis]

Avoiding the transfer of harmful activities to other states

Principle 14

States should effectively cooperate to discourage or prevent the relocation and transfer to other States of any activities and substances that cause severe environmental degradation or are found to be harmful to human health.

[Our emphasis]

The precautionary principle

Principle 15

In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

[Our emphasis]