City Research Online

Abstract

This perspective examines the evolving landscape of risk regulation, particularly within the UK, where a governmental shift towards prioritising economic growth is underway. It explores the tension between safeguarding society through regulation and the fostering of economic outcomes. This tension manifests itself as ‘Janus faced’ with risk regulation simultaneously tryng to balance what has gone before, with what may come. The perspective revisits the precautionary principle, arguing it can lead to ‘precautionary iatrogenesis’, stifling innovation and growth. It calls for a broader discussion within the risk research community about the appropriate balance between risk and growth, emphasising the need to consider risk/risk tradeoffs and the unintended consequences of excessive precaution.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Publisher Keywords:	Regulation, Growth, Innovation, Precautionary Principle, Risk Management
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD61 Risk Management
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Faculty of Actuarial Science & Insurance
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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