International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) Responsible Care Status Report, December, 1996.
In response to a request made at the
Round Table Meeting of Ministers and chemical industry Chief Executive Officers
(Stockholm, January 15-16, 1996), the global chemical industry, as represented
by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), wishes to present
a status report on the worldwide implementation of the Responsible Care initiative.
Responsible Care is the trademark name for the chemical industry's voluntary, global initiative to realize its commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) performance and to openness in communication about its activities and its achievements.
Responsible Care(1) is an initiative developed and adopted by chemical companies to improve continuously environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance of their operations and products in a manner responsive to the concerns of the public. Responsible Care was first adopted as a new model for the management of chemicals by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA) in 1985 and has since been adopted by chemical associations and their members in an additional 39 nations. Responsible Care is the basis of significant cultural change within the chemical industry which is leading to improved performance and new levels of openness with the public.
The global chemical industry plays
an important role in modern society by contributing to the solution of human
problems ranging from hunger, sickness and sanitation to housing, transportation
and leisure. The processes and products that deliver these benefits often
have properties with the potential for harm to health and the environment
if they are not managed properly. As a result, the public has concerns about
the products and operations of the industry. The industry recognizes that,
in decades past, there have been real problems with its environmental performance,
but major strides have been made since then. Through the implementation
of Responsible Care, the chemical industry, led by the Chairmen and CEOs
of companies, has delivered improved EHS performance and new levels of responsiveness
to the public's concerns about chemical risk reduction.
Responding to Agenda 2
The global chemical industry, as represented by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) (See Annex 1 for information on the ICCA and its Responsible Care Leadership Group), views Responsible Care as a practical and visible tool for meeting its obligation to manage safely the risks associated with the ever-widening range of chemical production and products. Agenda 21 (Chapter 19.8) encourages the development and promotion of Responsible Care and its attendant product stewardship activities. The chemical industry has responded by expanding the reach of Responsible Care to 40 countries which account for approximately 86 percent of the world's chemical production. In each case, the initiative is sponsored by a nation's leading chemical trade association representing both domestic and multinational chemical producers. Participating chemical companies in each country commit themselves to adhere to the Responsible Care Guiding Principles which state that a company will manage its activities so that they represent an acceptably high level of protection for the health and safety of employees, customers and the public and for the environment. Furthermore the companies will reflect these commitments in their policies and practices.
The growth and integrity of Responsible Care is guided by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and its Responsible Care Leadership Group. Through the Leadership Group, the ICCA has identified certain fundamental features of Responsible Care which must be present in each national association's initiative(See Annex 2 for information on the ICCA's Fundamental Features of Responsible Care). The Responsible Care fundamental features are intended to ensure global consistency of the initiative for the chemical industry and for its stake-holders. It is the view of the ICCA that effective implementation of the fundamental features by an association and its members will lead to improved EHS performance, risk reduction, increased influence of interested parties' views within the industry and the spread of the Responsible Care ethic both within and outside the chemical industry.
Managing risk has been a role traditionally addressed by individual companies working alone or with their stakeholders to comply with regulatory requirements. Individual companies have made progress in reducing chemical risk. In some cases, however, a company's actions were limited to localized improvements or failed to meet standards required by regulators or the expectations of the public. Additionally, company and industry innovation and flexibility in addressing chemical risk management has often been hampered by government command-and-control regulatory pressures. In the developed world, purpose-designed and well-enforced laws and regulations focusing on solely end-of-the-pipe solutions can cause industry to devote scarce resources to meeting only minimum requirements in order to avoid penalties and legal actions. In developing countries, enforcement of laws and regulations is often hampered by a lack of resources and uncertainty about what is expected of individual companies.
Implementation of Responsible Care by a national chemical association transforms the traditional view of risk management from an individual company activity to the responsibility of a group of like-minded companies representing significant segments of a nation's chemical production. These companies seek broad-based performance improvement, reduction of risk and the establishment of best management practices. Factors driving this new mind-set, which leads to a public commitment by a national chemical trade associations' members to Responsible Care, includes:
Because of this belief in benefits of collective action, the chemical industry has made significant progress in reducing its impacts on human health and the environment.
Since the early 1990s, many of the
national chemical associations implementing Responsible Care have begun
to collect EHS data from their members to measure the positive impact on
performance. While the amount of EHS performance data varies between countries,
positive trends are beginning to emerge wherever Responsible Care is being
implemented (See Annex
3 for information on each national association's Responsible Care activities).
In addition to the positive trend in process- and product- related performance results, the chemical industry has made a concerted effort to respond to the challenges outlined in Agenda 21's Chapter 19. These efforts include risk reduction efforts - many of which were underway prior to Agenda 21 - at the company, association and international level. In many cases these risk reduction efforts have been conducted with the participation of customers, suppliers and other stakeholders within the chemical distribution chain.
Specific examples of the global chemical industry's efforts to manage chemical risk on a collective basis through Responsible Care include:
Although far from comprehensive, the results and activities listed above reflect a general trend within associations which have adopted Responsible Care (See Annex 5 for information on additional Responsible Care references) As more national chemical associations collect performance data as part of their Responsible Care programs, their member companies will be subject to greater performance expectations from their peers and outside stake-holders.
This in turn will lead to greater performance improvements which are best achieved through full implementation of Responsible Care. Currently, more than half of the associations implementing Responsible Care are collecting EHS performance data. Many associations are only beginning to identify performance indicators for future use. The ICCA fully expects EHS performance results in these countries to mirror the progress being made in those countries where the data is already being reported.
The global chemical industry has
embraced Responsible Care because it is viewed as both "good citizenship"
and a positive impact on companies' economic bottom line. For the individual
company, implementation of Responsible Care leads to improved efficiency,
lower EHS costs and improved relations with stakeholders. For the global
chemical industry, successful implementation of Responsible Care demonstrates
an appropriate public policy which protects its license to operate and its
ability to innovate and meet society's demands for its products. For the
public, successful implementation of Responsible Care, ensures that the
chemical industry will continue to provide beneficial products for society
and continually reduce its negative impacts on human health and the environment.
External Recognition
The chemical industry's success with Responsible Care has led to its recognition at the 1992 UNCED meeting in Rio, by the IFCS at numerous forums, by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its Code of Ethics for the International Trade of Chemicals and by President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development. Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry's Council for Chemical Safety recognized Responsible Care as an example of an effective, voluntary initiative which, in combination with regulations, can promote chemical safety. In addition, individual chemical companies have received recognition at the national and local level for their efforts under Responsible Care to reduce risk and promote product stewardship.
In recent years, Responsible Care has also become a model for other industries or institutions which seek voluntary approaches to performance improvement and openness with stake-holders. In New Zealand, Responsible Care 's value is demonstrated by the adoption of the initiative by significant segments of the nations' public and private sectors including the armed forces. In the United States, the Department of Energy has recognized Responsible Care as an effective means of reducing chemical risks and is encouraging adoption of the initiative by its facility contractors.
One of the key tenets of Responsible Care is openness and responsiveness to public and other stakeholder concerns about the management of chemicals. As a result, the chemical industry has a keen appreciation of the need to seek input from the public and other interested groups, include this input into its development of policy, and report on its progress in meeting these expectations.
Following an example pioneered by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA), a number of national chemical associations have created National Advisory Panels to provide public input into the development and implementation of Responsible Care. These panels ensure that the performance expectations of interested groups are a part of industry planning processes. Formal national Responsible Care panels are now also sponsored by the U.S. Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) and the Australian Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association (PACIA).
The Japan Chemical Industries Association (JCIA) sponsors a panel of experts to provide input to its members on EHS issues while The Netherlands' Vereniging van de Nederlandse Chemische Industrie (VNCI) has created a Board Advisory Panel to provide similar information to its leadership. A number of other associations are now in the process of forming national advisory panels as part of their Responsible Care programs. Many other countries seek out public and other stakeholders views through discussions with "opinion formers," such as the case of the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) in the United Kingdom. By this process, the associations receive independent national advice on health, safety and environmental issues.
In addition to these national advisory processes, individual chemical companies have realized the essential need for local community dialogue concerning their production and distribution facilities. A growing number of formal and informal mechanisms are being established by chemical companies around the world to foster dialogue with local communities. One successful example of company-community dialogue is the local Community Advisory Panel. This local version of the National Advisory Panel provides input to chemical facility management and reinforces the local facility's accountability to the community in which it operates. In cases where panels do not yet exist, facility managers seek outside parties' input through other forums such as meetings with local leaders, open houses or progress reports to the media. One example of this willingness to dialogue with communities occurred in Italy, where more than 70 chemical plants were visited by more than 50,000 people in an "Open Factories Week" in October 1995. Australia's biennial "Open Door Weekends" have hosted more than 30,000 visitors at 50 member company manufacturing sites.
As part of their Responsible Care commitment, participating companies and their trade associations report performance data to the public. This voluntary reporting provides the public with specific, meaningful data on the industry's EHS performance and demonstrates the industry's commitment to exceeding public expectations. Examples of these voluntary reports include: "Indicators of Performance" by the U.K. Chemical Industries Association (CIA) which includes information on worker safety, emissions, waste releases, environment-related spending and community complaint processes; CCPA's annual "Emissions Inventory and Five Year Projections" which has been identified by Environment Canada as a "model for other industries to follow;" and the Australian Plastics and Chemical Industries Association' (PACIA) which is moving towards a series of performance indicators developed by a team of industry and public participants including a "Survey of Local Community Advisory Panel Satisfaction." PACIA reports that local panels have increased by 50 percent in two years and most panelists are "moderately to well satisfied with the industry's progress." The number and scope of association reports and individual company reports continues to expand to meet public expectations.
The chemical industry is further demonstrating its accountability by voluntarily including the public in programs to verify companies' implementation of Responsible Care. In several countries, members of the public, working with industry experts, are reviewing companies implementation of Responsible Care in an effort to promote continuous EHS improvement and build credibility among key audiences. ICCA has recognized the importance of Responsible Care verification by recently adding it to its list of Fundamental Features. (see Annex 4)
Despite Responsible Care 's many successes, the global chemical industry, as represented by ICCA, acknowledges that many challenges remain. The industry must continue to improve performance and increase its collection and dissemination of these results as a means of accountability to its stakeholders. Currently Responsible Care performance data reporting exists in many countries, but stakeholder expectations for industry reporting continue to rise. Future performance measures must be meaningful to stakeholders and demonstrate and deliver on the industry's commitment to continuous EHS improvement.
In addition to its focus on performance measures, the ICCA will pursue the goal of Responsible Care verification within its member associations. This will allow chemical companies to confirm their commitment to, and progress in, implementing Responsible Care. As other forms of auditing and verification such as ISO-14001 and EMAS are adopted, ICCA members will strive to integrate their verification processes with these useful standards and programs.
The ICCA and its member associations face a continuing challenge of spreading the ethic of Responsible Care to all sectors of the chemical industry. Currently, Responsible Care is being implemented in 40 nations which account for approximately 86 percent of the world's chemical production. Within these nations, the percentage of chemical production by companies implementing Responsible Care varies from 20 to 90 per-cent of total national production. The percentage of chemical production covered by Responsible Care continues to grow and is driven by peer pressure within chemical trade associations and by the positive performance achievements realized through implementation of the initiative.
The goal of the ICCA is to extend the initiative to an ever-increasing number of chemical companies around the world to include as much of the world's production of chemicals as possible under the umbrella of Responsible Care. Through Responsible Care Partnerships, the ICCA intends to spread the ethic to customers, suppliers and allied industries which produce, use or transport chemicals. Partnerships will allow chemical companies to extend their knowledge of chemical risk management to other sectors, thus improving overall product stewardship.
The global
chemical industry intends to use Responsible Care as proof that voluntary
industry initiatives which focus on flexibility and innovation can complement
successfully appropriate regulation to succeed where command-and-control
regulatory schemes have failed. Resource-strapped governments in both the
developed and developing worlds are seeking new paradigms for environmental
protection. Responsible Care is a partial answer to this search. Through
this initiative which is based on the implementation of best management
practices, continuous EHS improvement and accountability to the public's
and other interested parties' expectations, the chemical industry will continue
to make progress in reducing chemical risks while maintaining its economic
viability.
The past twelve years have seen significant changes in the chemical industry. Because of Responsible Care, all types of chemical companies have publicly committed themselves to responsible EHS management. That commitment is changing the industry culture and affecting the industry's stakeholders in the form of reduced emissions to the environment, improved emergency response, fewer transportation mishaps, improved outreach and communication, safer working conditions and overall reduced risk. These improvements are not restricted to one part of the world, but are occurring wherever Responsible Care is being implemented.
The ICCA believes
that Responsible Care is a proven, effective means of achieving superior
EHS performance. The ICCA seeks IFCS consideration of Responsible Care as
a model for voluntary industry efforts to promote chemical risk management
and, thereby, to help fulfill the objectives identified in Agenda 21's Chapter
19. The ICCA further seeks national governments' understanding of the work
we are doing and of the major importance of voluntary industry initiatives
to complement and, where appropriate, replace regulation and thereby protect
human health and the environment.
(1) Responsible Care® is a registered mark of the Chemical Industry
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) is a council of leading trade associations representing chemical manufacturers world-wide. ICCA members include associations from the North American Council of Chemical Associations : La Associacion Nacional de la Industria Quimica (ANIQ), Mexico, the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association (CCPA), Canada, and the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA), USA; from Latin America : O Conselho das Associaçőes da Indústria Quimica do Mercosul (CIQUIM); from Japan : the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA); from Australasia : the Plastics and Chemicals Industries Associations (PACIA), Australia, and the New Zealand Chemical Industry Council (NZCIC); from Europe, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), through which the 22 national trade associations of European countries participate in ICCA.
The ICCA provides a forum for regular meetings of executives from the member associations to discuss policy issues of international interest to the chemical industry. In addition, the ICCA may make policy statements or develop programs where consensus is reached among the council's member associations. The purpose of the ICCA is to exchange views among members, to coordinate action by council members, and to present an international chemical industry view to organisations. Such organisations would primarily be inter-governmental agencies (e.g., GATT/WTO, IMO, UNEP, OECD) and international private organisations (e.g., the International Standards Organisation, ISO). Policy issues of international significance to the chemical manufacturing industry form the agenda of the ICCA. Such issues include health, safety, and the environment; international transport safety; intellectual property; trade policy; and, industry efforts to eliminate chemical weapons and diversion to illegal drugs. The ICCA will not deal with trade missions or business promotion activities.
ICCA promotes and co-ordinates Responsible Care and other voluntary chemical industry initiatives. Responsible Care is the registered trade/service mark which denotes the chemical industry's international and voluntary commitment to continuous improvement of performance in health, safety and environmental protection.
The ICCA meets twice yearly. One meeting will include the chief executives of the council's member associations. The second meeting will include the chief executives plus leading corporate executives from council associations, usually the elected officers of the association; ICCA meetings are hosted by council members and held at various locations throughout the world. Administrative work to support the ICCA is performed by the Council Secretary, a responsibility that moves between associate members at two-year intervals. The current ICCA Secretary (1996) is Fred Webber of the CMA (Hugo Lever of CEFIC in 1997/1998).
Since its initial launch in Canada in 1985, the chemical industry's Responsible Care initiative has developed in many ICCA and non-ICCA countries with various cultures, legislative frameworks and a variety of pressure from public opinion. In addition, the companies implementing Responsible Care are of differing sizes, cultures, geographical coverage and management styles. Moreover, Responsible Care is now attracting the attention and interest of non-chemical companies and trade associations.
Such developments run the risk that Responsible Care will be diverted from its initial objectives and principles. The officers of the ICCA therefore decided, at their meeting on 5 October 1991, to establish a Responsible Care Leadership Group with the following Terms of References:
Responsible Care is an initiative developed and adopted by chemical industry associations to improve the health, safety and environmental performance of their member company operations and products and the level of community involvement and awareness of the industry.
The Fundamental Features describe the required components of Responsible Care. These can be tailored to meet the specific culture and needs of the country implementing the ethic. The criteria associated with each stage of implementation of the features are given in accompanying chart. These have been defined by the ICCA Responsible Care Leadership Group to assist the primary national chemical associations in their effort to reliably and consistently assess the stage of their implementation of each feature.
An association will be deemed to have reached a stage when it is operating in compliance with substantially all of the criteria. Complete satisfaction of all criteria is not required for placement in that stage.
The involvement and support of a company's Chief Executive Officer is critical to the establishment of overall Responsible Care ethic within an organization. In this context the CEO is defined as the most senior management person operating in the country.
Community involvement is desirable as early as practicable in the establishment of each fundamental feature because it will improve the relevance of processes introduced and because it contributes directly to the accomplishment of a primary Responsible Care objective.
It is not necessary to proceed at the same pace through the stages of each feature. Implementation of Guiding Principles and Name and Logo protection will usually precede and Verification will often lag the implementation of other features. The implementation schedule overall can reflect the unique culture and situations of the country.
Protection of the global integrity
of Responsible Care is a key ICCA objective. Consequently early attention
to protection of its name and logo by the association is encouraged.
| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| The association is considering a plan or program to implement the feature, but has not yet begun to implement it. | The association is in the midst of developing a plan or program that establishes the feature. | The association has completed the development of the plan or program to establish the feature and has in place the persons and/or processes necessary to maintain the feature and proceed with its continuous improvement. | |
| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 1. Guiding Principles | |||
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| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 2. Name, Logo | |||
| Adoption of a title and logo which clearly identify national programs as being consistent with and part of the concept of Responsible Care. |
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|
| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 3. Codes, Guides | |||
| A series of Codes, Guidance notes or Checklists to assist companies to implement the commitment of Responsible Care to achieve continuous health, safety and environmental improvements. |
|
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|
| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 4. Indicators | |||
| The progressive development of indicators against which improvements and performance can be measured. |
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|
| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 5. Communications | |||
| An on-going association and member company process of communication on health, safety and environmental matters with interested parties inside and outside the membership. |
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| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 6. Sharing | |||
| Provision of forums in which company CEO and Responsible Care coordinators can share views and exchange experiences on implementation of the commitment. |
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| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 7. Encouragement | |||
| Consideration of how best to encourage all association member companies to commit and participate in Responsible Care. |
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| Feature Summary | Initiating | Developing | Implementing |
| 8. Verification | |||
| Systematic procedures to verify the implementation of the measurable (or practical) elements of Responsible Care by the member companies. |
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Please select a country of your choice:
This annex contains profiles of each national Responsible Care initiative. The profiles include information about association activities for five of the International Council of Chemical Associations' Responsible Care Fundamental Features [See Annex 2 for information on the Fundamental Features]. These five Fundamental Features are:
Additional information about each national Responsible Care initiative can be obtained by contacting the sponsoring association listed in the profiles.
Camara de la Industria Quimica
y
Petroquimica - CIQyP
Av. L.N. Alem 1067,
Piso 14 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Contact: Dr. Nelson Culler
Tel 54 1 311 7732
Fax 54 1 312 4773
Adopted Responsible Care in 1992
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Code -
Pollution Prevention Code - Process Safety Code - Distribution Code - Employee
Health and Safety Code -Product Stewardship Code
2. Indicators of performance
Self-evaluations are collected from members to track
Code implementation progress - Lost time injuries -Transportation incidents
- Environmental incidents - Quantity of emissions and wastes - Energy consumption
3. Communication with interested parties
Communication programs on Responsible Care have been
conducted with government authorities, NGOs, community and industrial groups.
The association has launched a survey of member companies to test employee
knowledge and opinion of Responsible Care.
4. Mutual assistance forums
Regular meetings of Responsible Care Coordinators
are held with the issuance of a new Code or feature of the initiative. Monthly
meetings of the association's Environmental Committee are used to track
Responsible Care implementation progress and identify best practices.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not an obligation of membership.
Approximately 80 companies representing 60 percent of the association's
members are implementing Responsible Care. Peer pressure and the communication
of Responsible Care's benefits are the primary means of encouraging companies
to commit to the initiative.
Plastics and Chemicals Industries
Association - PACIA
Royal Domain Ctr., 4th Floor,
380 St. Kilda Rd., Melbourne, Australia
Contact: Jim Smith
Tel 61 39 699 6299
Fax 61 39 699 6717
Adopted Responsible Care in 1989
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Code -Waste
Management Code - Manufacturing Code -Warehousing and Storage Code - Product
Stewardship Code - Community Right to Know Code - Research and Development
Code - Transportation Code
2. Indicators of performance
Self-evaluations are collected from members to track
Code implementation progress - Employee Health Surveys -Injuries/Fatalities
- Emissions Reductions - Energy Use -Environmental Expenditures - Plant
Incidents - Transport Incidents - Community Satisfaction Local Community
Panel Effectiveness
3. Communication with interested parties
PACIA sponsors a National Community Advisory Panel
made up of external stakeholders who review and provide input on Responsible
Care. Individual companies have established more than 30 local advisory
panels in the communities where they operate. PACIA members sponsor open
door days at facilities which have attracted more than 30,000 visitors in
recent years. Members also participate in more than 200 community briefings
each year and support a number of educational programs in Australia. PACIA's
Communications Network presents key industry messages on Responsible Care
and other environment, health and safety issues to the public.
4. Mutual assistance forums
PACIA sponsors regular CEO/Responsible Care Coordinators
meetings for the exchange of implementation information and best practices.
The association provides courses on Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances
issues. PACIA sponsored 40 training courses on Code content, obligations
and skills for compliance in 1996. Briefings at manufacturing sites on implementing
Responsible Care are held regularly. External verification of Code compliance
serves as a tool for assisting members in improving their Responsible Care
implementation.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is an obligation of membership in
PACIA. PACIA's members represent 75 percent of Australian chemical sales.
Fachverband der Chemischen Industrie
Österreichs - FCIO
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63, Postfach 325,
A-1045 Wien 4, Austria
Contact: Franz Latzko
Tel 43 1 50105 3367
Fax 43 1 50206 280
Adopted Responsible Care in 1991
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Betriebsspezifisches Umweltschutzkonzept (Guidance
Document) - Sicherheit im Chemiebetrieb (Guidance Document) - Betriebsspezifisches
Abfallkonzept (Guidance Document) - Fragenkatalog zur Betriebsüberprüfung
im Rahmen von Responsible Care (checklist)
2. Indicators of performance
There are currently no association-wide performance
measures.
3. Communication with interested parties
In addition to company and association outreach efforts
to government and the general public, FCIO published a new Responsible Care
progress report in 1996. The report provided Responsible Care companies
an opportunity to publish individual environmental, health and safety success
stories. Individual companies also host open-door days at facilities.
4. Mutual assistance forums
FCIO sponsors an annual Responsible Care Workshop
for its members. A Responsible Care steering group meets 5-6 times each
year as does a Responsible Care technical working group. The objective of
these groups is to improve Responsible Care implementation and ensure the
use of best practices in the industry.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not an obligation of membership
in FCIO. Approximately 10 percent of the membership is participating in
the initiative. This represents 40 percent of the Austria's chemical production.
Peer pressure and other forms of encouragement are used to recruit companies
to participate in Responsible Care. FCIO has developed a process which allows
a company to complete a joint Responsible Care and EMAS (European Union
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) audit. If the process is recognized by
the Austrian environmental authorities, more companies are expected to participate
in the Responsible Care Initiative.
Fédération des Industries Chimiques
de
Belgique - FIC
Square Marie-Louise 49,
B - 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Contact: Claire Bosch
Tel 32 2 238 97 11
Fax 32 2 231 13 01
Adopted Responsible Care in 1991
Program Description
1.Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Environment (Guidance Principles) - Process Safety
of Safety Products (Guidance Principles) - Transport and Distribution (Guidance
Principles) - Communications (Guidance Principles) - Environmental Management
Systems (Checklist) - Code of Practices for the Rubber Industry - Code of
Practices for Industrial Gases
2. Indicators of performance
Investments and Costs of Environmental & Safety
Measures - Water Discharge: COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), nitrogen, phosphorous,
metals, materials in suspension - Air Emissions: SO2, NOx - Waste Production:
valorization, landfill - Accident Ratings
3. Communication with interested parties
Local advisory panels consisting of community stakeholders
have been established by some companies. Open door days are a popular method
of outreach to the public. More than 70 companies sponsored open door days
in 1995 hosting 90,000 visitors. Many companies are publishing environmental
reports for the public.
4. Mutual assistance forums
FIC has established a number of Responsible Care
committees which promote the initiative and provide opportunities for the
sharing of best practices. Several Product Stewardship seminars and training
courses have been sponsored for the membership. Regional mutual assistance
groups have been established by the association to assist small and medium
size companies. Responsible Care managers of FIC companies meet regularly
as part of the Responsible Care National Commission.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
More than 97 percent of FIC members have signed the
commitment.
Assoçiăo Brasileira de Industria Quimica e
de Produtos Derivados - ABIQUIM
Rua Santo Antonio 184/18 andar,
Sao Paulo SP, Brazil CEP 01314-900
Contact: Marcelo Kos Silveira Campos
Tel 55 11 232 1144
Fax 55 11 232 0919
Adopted Responsible Care in 1992
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Dialogue with the Community - Emergency Preparedness
and Response - Environment Protection - Process Safety - Transport and Distribution
- Employee Health and Safety - Product Stewardship
2. Indicators of performance
Self-evaluations are used to track Code implementation
progress. The association is considering the development of a series of
performance measures.
3. Communication with interested parties
Open door days and other outreach programs have been
sponsored at the local level. The association held a regional Responsible
Care workshop for Latin America in May 1995. An annual Responsible Care
seminar for industry and other interested parties is planned. Individual
companies have created community advisory panels. A national advisory panel
is planned.
4. Mutual assistance forums
Eleven local cells have been established where members
can address Responsible Care implementation and share best practices. These
cells are supported by the association's Executive Leadership and Technical
Committees. Seminars on different aspects of Responsible Care and other
environment, health and safety issues are held for the membership.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Approximately 70 percent of the association's members
are implementing Responsible Care. These companies represent approximately
85 percent of Brazil's chemical sales. When Responsible Care has been adopted
by 90 percent of the membership, it will become obligatory for all members.
Currently, peer pressure is the primary means of encouraging members to
commit to Responsible Care.
Canadian Chemical
Producers' Association - CCPA
350 Sparks Street, Ottawa,
Ontario K1R 7S8, Canada
Contact: Brian Wastle
Tel 1 613 237 6215
Fax 1 613 237 4061
Adopted Responsible Care in 1985
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Code -
Research and Development Code - Manufacturing Code - Transportation Code
- Distribution Code - Waste Management Code
2. Indicators of performance
Emissions to Air - Emissions to Water - Transportation
Incidents - Worker Safety
3. Communication with interested parties
CCPA maintains a national advisory panel made up
of external parties who provide input and review for Responsible Care. Individual
companies sponsor similar groups at the community level. Outreach includes
open door days, publications with performance data, workshops and seminars
for the public and interaction with government bodies. A Chemical Referral
Center exists to answer questions about chemicals from the public. A memorandum
of understanding has been signed between CCPA and the Canadian government
to develop Responsible Care (voluntary) approaches to meeting environmental
objectives.
4. Mutual assistance forums
Mutual assistance networks have been established
for CEOs, middle managers and plant managers. The association's Responsible
Care Compliance Verification process serves to verify Responsible Care implementation
and to share best practices among member companies. Numerous workshops and
meetings are sponsored by the association to share implementation expertise
and best practices.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is an obligation of membership in
the CCPA. The association's members represent 95 percent of the chemical
production in Canada based on sales.
Asociacion Gremial de
Industriales Quimicos - ASIQUIM
Av. Andres Bello 2777, Of. 501,
Santiago, Chile
Contact: Stellio Cembrano
Tel 56 2 203 3350
Fax 56 2 203 3351
Adopted Responsible Care in 1994
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Process Safety Code - Transportation and Distribution
Code - Employee Health and Safety Code (under development) - Product Stewardship
Code (under development) - Community Awareness and Emergency Response (under
development) - Pollution Prevention Code (under development)
2. Indicators of performance
Code self-evaluations are used to track implementation
progress. Other performance measures are now under consideration.
3. Communication with interested parties
ASIQUIM sponsors a series of conferences and seminars
each year related to environment, health and safety issues for members,
the public and government. ASIQUIM's Environment Committee works closely
with the government on the development of regulations.
4. Mutual assistance forums
A regular series of implementation workshops are
sponsored by the association for its members.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
The association is considering making Responsible
Care an obligation of membership. Currently, approximately 60 percent of
the membership is implementing the initiative. These companies represent
80 percent of Chile's chemical sales.
Asociación Colombiana de Industrias
Plasticas - Acoplasticos
Consejo Colombiano de Seguridad - CCS>
Associación Nacional de Industriales - ANDI
Carrera 13, No. 26-45, Piso 6,
Bogota, Colombia
Contact: Gustavo Munevar
Tel 00 571 288 6355/245 8268
Fax 00 571 288 4367
Adopted Responsible Care in 1994
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Code -
Pollution Prevention Code - Process Safety Code - Distribution Code - Employee
Health and Safety Code - Product Stewardship Code
2. Indicators of performance
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Survey
- Pollution Prevention - Incidents at Manufacturing Plants - Distribution
and Transportation Reports
3. Communication with interested parties
Plans include the creation of a national advisory
panel. Open door days are sponsored by individual companies. Meetings with
government officials to discuss Responsible Care are held regularly.
4. Mutual assistance forums
Executive Leadership Group meetings for CEOs and
other senior managers are sponsored by the association. Code workshops,
technical committee meetings and Responsible Care Managers meetings are
held to share implementation experiences and best practices.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not a requirement of membership
in any of the three sponsoring associations in Colombia. Peer pressure is
the primary means of encouraging companies to commit to the initiative.
Svaz chemickeho priemyslu
Ceske republiky -SCHP
Kodanska 46, CR - 100 10 Prague 10,
Czech Republic
Contact: Miroslav Krejci
Tel 42 2 671 54131
Fax 42 2 671 54130
Adopted Responsible Care in 1994
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Proactivity Code - Health and Safety Code - Integrated
Pollution Prevention Control Code - Past Damage Clean-up Code - Emergency
Response & Preparedness Code - Environmental Management Code - Environmental
Education and Training Code - Information Openness Code
2. Indicators of performance
The association is developing performance indicators.
Individual member companies have voluntarily reported environment, health
and safety data.
3. Communication with interested parties
SCHP held a number of regional seminars for government
authorities and the media to announce its adoption of Responsible Care in
1995 and to explain the initiative's goals. The association also publishes
a journal to communicate Responsible Care information to members and other
interested parties.
4. Mutual assistance forums
SCHP has held a number of Responsible Care training
sessions for its members. Five regional sessions were co-sponsored with
the German chemical industry. Assistance in developing the Responsible Care
initiative was also provided by the Norwegian, Swedish and Swiss chemical
associations.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not an obligation of membership
in SCHP. Approximately 75 percent of the members representing 95 percent
of the nation's chemical production have committed to the initiative. The
association relies on peer pressure and successful company experiences with
Responsible Care to convince non-signatories to join the initiative.
Foreningen af Danske
Kemiske Industrier - FDKI
Norre Voldgade 48,
DK - 1358 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Contact: Jacob Jessen
Tel 45 3 315 1748
Fax 45 3 315 1722
Adopted Responsible Care in 1995
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Emergency Response - Environmental Management - Environmental
Reporting
2. Indicators of performance
FDKI is developing national performance indicators
for its members.
3. Communication with interested parties
No formal structure has been established at this
time.
4. Mutual assistance forums
No formal structure has been established at this
time.
5. Process to encourage full participationof association members
70 percent of FDKI's members have formally signed
the Responsible Care Commitment. This represents approximately 75 percent
of national chemical production. Peer pressure and company experiences with
Responsible Care are used to convince members to participate in the initiative.
Kemianteollisuus Ry - KT RY
Eteläranta 10, P.O. Box 4,
SF - 00131 Helsinki, Finland
Contact: Aimo Kastinen
Tel 358 9 172 841
Fax 358 9 630 225
Adopted Responsible Care in 1992
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Process Safety - Safety in Transportation - Waste
Management - Environmental Performance - Product Stewardship - Additional
Guidance Notes and other documents have been developed.
2. Indicators of performance
The association collects and publishes 39 indicators
of performance divided in the following categories:
| Process Safety | 3 |
| Safety in Transportation | 5 |
| Waste Management | 3 |
| Environmental Performance | 10 |
| Environmental Costs | 10 |
| Product Stewardship | 2 |
| Consumption of Natural Resources | 4 |
3. Communication with interested parties
Communication with interested parties has usually
been implemented by individual companies through the use of open door days,
public advisory panels or special communications to neighbors in host communities.
Federation-wide activities are planned for late 1996 which may include joint
open door days across the country.
4. Mutual assistance forums
The federation sponsors regular meetings of companies
committed to Responsible Care. At these meetings, companies can share experiences
and best practices.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Approximately 25 percent of the federation's members
have committed to Responsible Care. This represents 80 percent of the chemical
production in Finland. Peer pressure and communications about the benefits
of Responsible Care are used to convince companies to participate in the
initiative.
Union des Industries Chimiques
- UIC
14 rue de la République, Puteaux, Cedex 99,
F-92909 Paris la Défense, France
Contact: Marie-Hélčne Leroy
Tel 33 1 4653 1121
Fax 33 1 4653 1104
Adopted Responsible Care in 1990
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
UIC has published around 40 guides and technical documentation for its members which cover the following areas of a company's operations:
Pollution Prevention - Process Safety - Transportation
-Distribution - Employee Health and Safety - Safety of Chemicals and Product
Stewardship
2. Indicators of performance
Occupational Safety - Air emissions - Water emissions
- Environmental Investments - Waste Generation
3. Communication with interested parties
UIC members have established many programs to inform interested parties of Responsible Care and environment, health and safety issues. For instance, in eastern France, UIC and 23 companies established signed a charter which requires reporting on chemical risks and prevention measures to a wide range of parties including government,
local communities and the media. A "Collčge
National d'Experts en Environnement de l'Industrie Chimique" was established
by UIC members to promote professional qualification and the training of
experts from the chemical industry and to develop methodologies for codes
of good practice.
4. Mutual assistance forums
A wide range of mutual assistance programs have been
established by UIC at the local, regional and national level. Member companies
are encouraged to share best practices and other information to support
continuous improvement.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not an obligation of membership.
The companies committed to Responsible Care represent approximately 90 percent
of France's chemical turnover. Peer pressure and the demonstration of Responsible
Care's benefits are the primary method of encouraging members to commit
to the initiative. Recent efforts to recruit Responsible Care participants
have been directed at small and medium sized companies.
Verband der Chemischen Industrie
- VCI
Karlstraße 19-21, Postfach 11 19 43,
D - 60329 Frankfurt-11, Germany
Contact: Frauke Druckrey
Tel 49 69 2556 14 45
Fax 49 69 2556 16 07
Adopted Responsible Care in 1991
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Environmental Protection - Occupational Health and
Safety - Product Stewardship - Dialogue - Process Safety - Distribution
2. Indicators of performance
Performance measures are required in each of the
six Codes listed above. VCI's first Responsible Care Annual Report includes
specific data. The document was published in September 1996. The basis for
the indicators will be the CEFIC Core Set of Indicators.
3. Communication with interested parties
VCI organizes open door days nationally and at the
state level. Annual teacher's congresses allow members of the chemical industry
to meet and engage in dialogue with chemistry teachers from across the nation.
"Fora Future" ("Zukunftsforen") were initiated in 1995
and bring together members of the chemical industry with public figures
to discuss Sustainable Development issues. Additionally, individual companies
sponsor local advisory panels to share information or publish material to
inform the public of chemical-related information.
4. Mutual assistance forums
VCI's Responsible Care Project Group meets regularly
to identify methods of improving implementation and performance. In 1995,
the Responsible Care Project Group sponsored 24 workshops on the regional
level which were attended by more than 1000 member company representatives.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
All VCI companies are required to commit to Responsible
Care.
Hellenic Association of
Chemical Industries - HACI
5 Xenofontos Street,
GR-10557 Athens, Greece
Contact: Costa Masmanidis
Tel 30 1 323 73 25
Fax 30 1 322 29 29
Adopted Responsible Care in 1995
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Public Awareness and Communications - Waste Management
- Storage and Distribution - Process Safety - Pollution Control - Safety
and Hygiene
2. Indicators of performance
Performance indicators are being developed and should
be completed in early 1997.
3. Communication with interested parties
Excellent communications with government agencies
currently exist. A communications plan which includes out-reach to the media
and other interested parties is in development. The association has cooperated
with the Greek Fire Brigade in the establishment of a emergency response
center and a chemical product database.
4. Mutual assistance forums
No formal structure has been established. The focus
of the association has been the development of the Responsible Care Codes.
Following completion of this effort, the focus will shift to implementation
of the Code practices and performance indicators. The President of the association
has given many lectures on Responsible Care to member companies and external
groups.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Approximately 93 percent of the association's members
have committed to Responsible Care. They represent 90 percent of the national
chemical industry's sales. Peer pressure is the primary tool for encouraging
member companies to implement Responsible Care.
Association of International Chemical
Manufacturers - AICM
GPO Box 1607, Hong Kong
Contact: Judy Casteldine
Tel 852 2866 2131
Fax 852 2528 1740
Adopted Responsible Care in 1992
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Distribution Code - Product Stewardship Code - Additional
Codes are under development
2. Indicators of performance
A Responsible Care Steering Team is developing an
implementation program and performance indicators are part of the proposed
program.
3. Communication with interested parties
AICM has established a communications program to
inform legislators, civil servants, customers, suppliers and the public
of its Responsible Care objectives. Community out-reach efforts have focused
on three areas of concern: air and water pollution and noise. AICM sponsored
Asia-Pacific Responsible Care Conferences in 1995 and 1996 which were attended
by several hundred delegates from around the world. The 1996 was held in
Beijing and attracted a large audience of Chinese government officials.
4. Mutual assistance forums
AICM has developed a number of mutual assistance
pro-grams for its members. The association sponsors seminars on safe use
of chemicals in both Hong Kong and China.
5. Process to encourage full participation of association members
Responsible Care is not an obligation of membership.
More than 45 companies are implementing Responsible Care but only a handful
have manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong, thus the focus on Distribution
and Product Stewardship.
Magyar Vegyipari Szövetség - MAVESZ
Erzsébet Királyné útja 1/c,
H - 1146 Budapest, Hungary
Contact: Lajos Csurgai
Tel 36 1 343 8920
Fax 36 1 343 0980
Adopted Responsible Care in 1992
Program Description
1. Codes, guidance notes or checklists for implementation
Community Awareness and Emergency Response Code -
Manufacturing Code - Research & Development Code - Transportation Code
- Distribution Code -Hazardous Waste Management Code
2. Indicators of performance
Lost-time accidents - Air emissions: SO2, NO x, CO2,
dust - Water emissions: NO2, NO3, heavy metals, oil -Energy Consumption
3. Communication with interested parties
Companies have organized open door days and other
community outreach events. Formal complaint procedures have been established
by most companies. Approximately 25 percent of the member companies have
signed Responsible Care Partnership Agreements with their suppliers. The
focus of these Agreements is Product Stewardship policy and practices to
ensure the safe handling of chemical products.