Started in Canada in 1985, Responsible Care is a global, voluntary initiative developed autonomously by the
chemical industry for the chemical industry. It runs in 67 countries whose combined chemical industries account for nearly 90% of global chemical production. 96 of the 100 largest chemical producers in the world have adopted Responsible Care.
It stands for the chemical industry's desire to improve health, safety, and environmental performance.
The signatory chemical companies agree to commit themselves to improve their performances in the fields of
environmental protection
Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...
, occupational safety and health protection, plant safety, product stewardship and
logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
, as well as to continuously improve dialog with their neighbors and the public, independent from legal requirements.
As part of Responsible Care initiative, the
International Council of Chemical Associations
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) is the trade association of the global chemical industry. Its members are both regional trade associations like Cefic or the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, and also nationa ...
introduced the Global Product Strategy in 2006.
Critical analyses of Responsible Care have been done by Andrew King and Michael Lenox, Michael Givel, and Moffet, Bregha and Middelkoop.
History
Responsible Care was launched by the
Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the elements that make up matter to the compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, properties, ...
(formerly the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association - CCPA) in 1985. The term was coined by CIAC president Jean Bélanger. The scheme evolved, and, in 2006, The Responsible Care Global Charter was launched at the
UN-led International Conference on Chemicals Management in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
Controversy
Poisoning of river
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
by the company
Draslovka Kolin a.s., a Responsible Care certified company or hiding of 20 metric tons leakage of
naphthalene by the company Deza,
also a Responsible Care company, questions whether the Responsible Care brings any real improvement or is just a
marketing tool.
References
External links
Responsible Care web siteThe Global Product Strategy pdf
Chemical industry
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