Responsible Care is a voluntarycommitment by the global chemical industry
to drive continuous improvement andachieve excellence in environmental, healthand safety and security performance.
It achieves this goal by meeting and exceeding
legislative and regulatory requirements
and by adopting collaborative approachesYour Guide toacross the industry and with governmentand other stakeholders. This commitment isfurther backed by the activities of National
Responsible Care programmes, which include
systematic procedures to verify implementation

THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL
OF CHEMICAL ASSOCIATIONS

of the Responsible Care elements.
Responsible Care is a commitment to an ethic of

Responsible Care
Global Charter®

safe chemicals management and performanceexcellence in the chemical industry. It enhances
public confidence and trust in the industry’s
dedication to safely manage chemicals throughout
their lifecycle, while ensuring that chemistry
contributes to improving living standards, enhancing
our quality of life and protecting the environment.
Effective and transparent engagement with
our industry’s stakeholders is a cornerstone of
Responsible Care and plays an important role inunderstanding and meeting society’s expectations.
Responsible Care was launched in 1985 in Canada
to address challenges and stakeholder expectations
for the chemical industry. Today, Responsible
Care is practiced by the chemical industry in over
60 countries participating in the International
Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA).
First published in 2005, our Responsible Care
Global Charter was updated in 2014 to respondeffectively to current stakeholder expectations,as well as the opportunities and challenges
facing the global chemical industry.

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Signatories to the Responsible Care® Global Charter commit to actively
strengthen Responsible Care worldwide by dedicating their company, people,
technologies and business practices to the Charter’s Six Elements:

1A Corporate Leadership
Culture that proactively
supports safe chemicals
management throughthe global Responsible
Care initiative.
Charter signatories commit
to provide leadershipand resources to:➜ Implement Responsible
Care principles andpractices wherever thecompany manufacturesor sells products;➜ Participate in national
Responsible Care
programmes where thecompany has significant
business activities1;➜ Contribute to the further
expansion of Responsible
Care in other regions wherethe company has significant
business activities;➜ Promote industry andpublic awareness ofResponsible Care;➜ Provide practical supportand share best practices
to enable other parties tosuccessfully implement
Responsible Care.

The effective implementation and credibility

1of Responsible Care and fulfillment of related
commitments in the Global Charter requires thefullest participation of leading chemical companies,
wherever they have significant business activities.

2
Safeguarding People
and the Environment
by continuously
improving theenvironmental, healthand safety performanceand security of ourfacilities, processes
and technologies andby driving continuous
improvement inchemical productsafety and stewardshipthroughout thesupply chain.
Charter signatories commit to:➜ Implement corporate
principles, policies andprocedures to safeguard
employees, contractors, thepublic and the environment;➜ Strive for continuous
improvement withrespect to workplace
health and safety,public safety, process
safety, environmental
performance and thesecurity of the company’s
facilities and products.

3Strengthening
ChemicalsManagement Systems
by participating in
the development
and implementationof lifecycle-oriented,
science- and riskbased chemicalsafety legislation
and best practices.
Charter signatories commit
to managing the safetyof chemical products
in accordance with theexpectations of the ICCA
Global Product Strategy(GPS), including:➜ Active collaborationin the development
and implementationof effective, risk-based
chemicals management
policies, regulations andperformance standards;➜ Active participation incapacity building initiatives
to advance the safe
management of chemicals
across the globe;➜ Contributions to national
and international education
and research that advances
understanding of thesafety of chemicals, suchas the Globally Harmonised
System of Classificationand Labelling of Chemicals(GHS) and the Long-range
Research Initiative (LRI).

4
Influencing Business
Partners to promote
the safe managementof chemicals within
their own operations;Charter signatories commit to:➜ Drive continual
improvement inproduct safety andstewardship processes
and management;➜ Provide information andassistance to enable safe
chemicals management
along the value chain;➜ Collaborate with chemical
users on maintaining andimproving processes forthe safe and effective
uses of chemicals;➜ Champion Responsible Carealong the chemical industry
value chain and encourage
similar approaches inother industrial sectors.

56Engaging Stakeholders,understanding
and responding totheir concerns andexpectations forsafer operations
and products andcommunicating openly
on our performanceand products.
Global Charter signatories
commit to:➜ Engage stakeholders tounderstand and respondto their concerns andexpectations aboutchemical manufacturing
and product safety;➜ Provide stakeholders withcompany performance andproduct safety information;➜ Provide performance
information to national andinternational Responsible
Care organizations
to facilitate effective
dialogue with theindustry’s stakeholders.

Contributing to
Sustainability throughimproved performance,expanded economic
opportunities andthe development ofinnovative technologies
and other solutions tosocietal challenges.
Global Charter signatories
commit to:➜ Implement corporate
principles, policies andprocesses to drive
continuous improvement
in waste management,
greenhouse gas emissions
and the efficient use ofresources including energy,
raw materials and water;➜ Promote the importanceof chemicals in
improving quality oflife and contributing tosustainable development;➜ Participate in initiatives
which confirm Responsible
Care as a contributor tosustainable development
and encourageothers to make theirown contributions
to sustainability.

Only the English language version is the official document