GPCA extends Responsible Care® to Logistics Service Providers (LSP)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 27, 2017: In line with its efforts to support the sustainable development of the chemical and petrochemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, the Dubai-based Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has launched Responsible Care® for chemical and petrochemical Logistics Service Providers (LSP) in the region.
The decision follows leading examples from developed nations, and is underpinned by the significant contribution of Responsible Care® to the manufacturing sector globally and within the GCC.
In 2014, GPCA continued to lead the sustainability efforts in the region. In line with its aspirations to further contribute to raising the industry’s standards, the association lunched the SQAS program across the GCC to promote supply chain efficiency, flexibility and transparency in the petrochemical and chemical industry.
Alan Izzad, Director, Responsible Care and Gulf SQAS, GPCA, commented: “Since its launch three years ago, Gulf SQAS has witnessed an overwhelming success highlighting the region’s growing efforts to comply with international standards, and adopt a systematic and standardized approach towards health, safety and the environment.”
“As the chemical industry’s unique global initiative that drives continuous improvement in the Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S) performance together with open and transparent communication among stakeholders, extending Responsible Care® to LSPs will offer significant benefits to the industry and its partners in their sustainability journey moving forward.”
“Responsible Care and Gulf SQAS will continue to be key focuses for GPCA as it helps member companies pursue the sustainability agenda in the GCC chemical sector. Our collective efforts aim to ensure that EHS&S capability of our industry is enhanced and in line with international standards,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.
“Building on the successful foundation of the Gulf Sustainability and Quality Assessment System (Gulf SQAS), Responsible Care® will undoubtedly offer similar improvements in our logistics operations as well,” he added.
As a key element of Responsible Care® for logistics operations, Gulf SQAS is a system designed to evaluate the EHSS&Q performance of Logistic Service Providers (LSPs) in the Arabian Gulf using standardized modular assessment questionnaires.
Following the established model for manufacturing companies, LSPs are required to meet a set of conditions in order to be recognized as a Responsible Care® company.
These include being a GPCA associate member, the signing of Responsible Care Declaration by senior executive, undertaking Gulf SQAS assessment for all GCC facilities, as well as annual EHS&S performance metrics.
This year, GPCA Board of Directors also agreed to increase the level of transparent reporting further by supporting the presentation of company level data, as appropriate, instead of regional consolidated data.
Furthermore, GPCA has invested in an IT platform whose primary aim is to provide full and associate member companies an opportunity to upload their own performance data and benchmark themselves against industry peers.
The system, which went live on 25 April, enables timely submission of performance metrics data, success stories and lessons learned. It also offers member companies the option to review three years’ submission data and regional averages to have both a real time sense check of data to be submitted and provide for some level of benchmarking.
“This practice is going to bring GPCA on par with all the leading regional reporting regimes, including Europe and North America. In fact, the GPCA IT-Platform will bring us to an even greater level of excellence as we shall be reporting and publishing our data within six months rather than an average fifteen months as in the case of our peer associations,” said Warren Wilder, Vice President, Chemicals, Saudi Aramco and GPCA Responsible Care Committee Chairman.