All Aboard: Chinese Chemical Industry Leaders Sign Onto Responsible Care Global Charter
On September 18 in Shanghai, chemical industry leaders from around the world gathered as more than 300 Chinese chemical company CEOs belonging to the China Petrochemicals and Chemicals Industry Federation (CPCIF) formally signed onto the Responsible Care® Global Charter. By doing so, China has demonstrated its commitment to strengthen chemicals management systems to safeguard people and the environment.
This is particularly significant as a safe, strong and vibrant chemical industry in China is an asset to both the global chemicals industry and world economy. China is currently the largest chemicals manufacturing economy in the world, valued at around U.S. $1.44 trillion in 2014, and CPCIF members represent 70 percent of the petroleum and chemical industry in China.
A Blueprint for Improving EHS Performance
Around the world, Responsible Care provides a blueprint for continuously improving environment, health and safety performance, as well a template for robust stakeholder relationships.
Launched in Canada in 1985 and practiced today in the more than 60 economies worldwide that participate in the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), Responsible Care is the global chemical industry’s unifying commitment to the safe management of chemicals throughout their life cycle. Through Responsible Care, chemical industry leaders promote their role in improving industry performance while enhancing quality of life and contributing to sustainable development around the world.
Responsible Care companies commit to a journey toward transparency and strong governance processes to support continuous performance improvement. Each year, Responsible Care companies around the world report their progress on a series of environmental, health and safety performance indicators. In China, the development of these key performance data will enable the government to act and make critical progress in these areas.
The Responsible Care Global Charter
The Responsible Care Global Charter embodies the chemical industry’s commitment to performance excellence and safe chemicals management. The ICCA Board of Directors approved the revised Responsible Care Global Charter in 2014 to specifically focus on the responsibilities and accountabilities of global chemical companies in support of Responsible Care principles, as well as to target key aspects of company operations, such as process safety, security and sustainability.
Companies that sign on to the Global Charter are expected to implement Responsible Care in their own organizations and lead implementation efforts worldwide.
On October 1, ICCA will publicly unveil the revised and strengthened Responsible Care Global Charter during an ICCA-sponsored high-level side event at ICCM4, featuring CEOs from global chemical companies.