PLASTICS-STATS*
Nearly 80% of plastic waste in the ocean begins as litter on land Over 90% percent of river- borne plastic in the ocean comes from 10 major rivers around the world – eight in Asia, and two in Africa. 60% of plastic waste in the ocean can be sourced to five countries in Southeast Asia. *Ocean Conservancy re-
Contents
2 Global gathering in New Zealand 3 Cefic rejuvenation pro- ject update Transport & distribution reporting 4 Capacity building in Africa 5  RCNZ: meeting local needs 6 17th ABIQUIM Atuação Responsável Congress 7 Workshops: RCI tar- gets security; JCIA success for new approach; meeting of Latin American Respon- sible Care associations 8 Photo op: RCLG & CP&H Leadership Group meetings 10 CPCIF reports first-time KPIs, strengthens links with academia AICM Global Charter 11 and Open Day ceremony 12 Global growth of RC14001 continues ICCA and UN Envi- ronment complete joint data study 2018 Responsible Care Status Report launch News in Brief and 13 People on the Move
ENDING PLASTIC WASTE
CEOs lead cross-value-chain alliance
Industry's role as a solutions provider to societal challenges is spotlighted under a new alliance of executive leaders from the chemicals and plastics sector and their value chain partners. Launch of the new initiative to address the issue of plastic waste in the environment, particularly the world's oceans, was reported by mainstream media after the formal announcement on 16 Jan- uary. Nearly 30 companies had rallied behind the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) by mid- January. David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Procter & Gamble, and chairman of the AEPW said: "I urge all companies, big and small and from all regions and sectors, to join us." AEPW aims to support total investment of more than US$1.5 billion over the next five years through a combination of Alliance-sponsored and branded projects, as well as separate member company-directed investments. In the months ahead, the Alliance will drive pro- gress in four key areas: ♦ Infrastructure development to collect and manage waste and increase recycling; ♦ Innovation to advance and scale new technol- ogies that make recycling and recovering plastics easier and create value from all post- use plastics; ♦ Education and engagement of governments, businesses, and communities to mobilize action; and, ♦ Clean-up of concentrated areas of plastic waste already in the environment, particularly the major conduits of waste, like rivers that carry land-based plastic waste to the sea. Industry leaders believe that bringing together the entire value chain into a new, business- driven, results-oriented initiative will have lasting speaking at the recent launch impact on the environment and quality of life in parts of the world that struggle most with unman- aged plastic waste. AEPW has brought together converters, consumer packaged goods compa- nies, brands, retailers, and waste management companies to spearhead strategic partnerships with governments, development finance, and civil society. "History has shown us that collective action and partnerships between industry, governments and NGOs can deliver innovative solutions to a global challenge like this," said Bob Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell, and a vice chairman of the AEPW. "Success will require collaboration and coordinated efforts across many sectors – some that create near-term progress and others that require major investments with longer timelines," said Veolia CEO Antoine Frérot, also a vice chair of the Alli- ance. "No one country, company or community can solve this on their own," he added. Continues on page 2
New Chair Stresses Commitment to Sustainability
Chairmanship of the Responsible Care Leadership Group (RCLG) passed from Solvay's Patrick Vandenhoeke to Baudouin Kelecom (pictured left)  from ExxonMobil in October 2018, so there was a new face at the helm of the November RCLG meeting in Rotorua, New Zea- land. The formal handover took place at the ICCA Board meeting in October; earlier that month during the RCLG's October conference call, Patrick thanked everyone for their teamwork and commitment as he made his farewell.  Baudouin in turn thanked Patrick for his excellent leadership and work with the group over the past two years, noting: "We have the same passion for Responsible Care." Opening the Rotorua meeting, the new chairman told delegates that his priorities were "to strengthen Responsible Care and the sustainability dimension."  Welcoming the group to New Zealand, he thanked RCNZ's Barry Dyer and ACC's Alexa Burr for their efforts in organizing the event. He noted the "extraordinary culture" of New Zealand, adding: "this is a country where… nature is almighty." During his 34 years with ExxonMobil, Baudouin has worked in both the technical and manufactur- ing areas and has had plenty of involvement with Responsible Care during that time. Nevertheless, he commented: "I am amazed by the complexities facing us but also confident." 1
Global Gathering in
New Zealand
Hosted in late November by Responsible Care New Zea- land (RCNZ) in Rotorua, company and association repre- sentatives from the ICCA's Responsible Care and Chemical Policy & Health Leadership Groups came together to dis- cuss ICCA advocacy and key priorities of the two groups over a four-day period. And while the work rate was full on, the meeting location and post-meeting activities organised by RCNZ also left a lasting impression on participants and highlighted the im- portance of society's environmental responsibilities. Day one saw a kick-off meeting of the ICCA Advocacy Task Force and was followed by the two Leadership Groups' indi- vidual events. During the concluding day-and-a-half com- bined meeting, topics of mutual interest and shared activi- ties such as capacity building, UN Environment projects and sustainability were addressed by nearly 50 participants from across the globe. Summarising at the end of the week, the two Leadership Group chairmen Mike Witt (CP&H) and Baudouin Kelecom (RC) identified each group's priorities for the year ahead and joint interests (see above). These shared activities in- clude important advocacy activities related to SAICM and UNEA4; communications on RC, sustainability and socioec- onomic aspects; the ongoing cooperation with UN Environ- ment; and industry’s extensive capacity building activities. Highlights from the week are captured on pages 8 and 9 in this edition of RCLG Update. Continued from p1
FIRST STEPS
AEPW’s initial set of projects and collaborations include: ● Partnering with cities to design inte- grated waste management systems in large urban areas where infrastructure is lacking, especially those along rivers which transport vast amounts of un- managed plastic waste from land to the ocean. This work will include engaging local governments and stakeholders, and generate economically sustainable and replicable models that can be ap- plied across multiple cities and regions. The Alliance will pursue partnerships with cities located in high plastic leak- age areas. The Alliance will also be looking to collaborate with other pro¬ grams working with cities, such as Pro- ject STOP, which is working in Indonesia. ● Funding The Incuba- tor Network by invest- ment management firm Circulate Capi- tal to develop and promote technolo- gies, business models and entrepre- neurs that prevent ocean plastic waste and improve waste management and recycling, with the intention of creating a pipeline of projects for investment, with an initial focus on Southeast Asia. ● Developing an open source, science¬ based global information project to sup- port waste management projects glob- ally with reliable data collection, met- rics, standards, and methodologies to help governments, companies, and investors focus on and accelerate ac- tions to stop plastic waste from entering the environment. The Alliance will ex- plore opportunities to partner with lead- ing academic institutions and other or- ganizations already involved in similar types of data collection. ● Creating a capacity building collabo- ration to conduct joint workshops and trainings for government officials and community-based leaders. ● Supporting technology-based organi- zation Renew Oceans to aid localized investment and engagement. The pro- gram is designed to capture plastic waste before it reaches the ocean. The initial work will support the Renew Gan- ga project, which has also received support from the National Geographic Society. AEPW FOUNDING MEMBERS: BASF, Berry Global, Braskem, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Clariant, Covestro, Dow, DSM, ExxonMobil, Formosa Plastics Corporation USA, Henkel, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Mitsui Chemicals, NOVA Chemicals, OxyChem, PolyOne, Procter & Gamble, Reliance Industries, SABIC, Sasol, SUEZ, Shell, SCG Chemicals, Sumitomo Chemical, Total, Veolia, Versalis (Eni) 2
Work on the Cefic Responsi- ble Care rejuvena- tion project has passed the halfway mark and the updat- ing of the 14-year-old Responsi- ble Care Management Framework (RCMF) to encompass elements of ISO, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals is well underway. The updated RCMF will in- clude 4 maturity levels (see panel) which will provide companies with an attractive route to continuous improve- ment. It will offer companies an effec- tive self-assessment tool aligned to the Responsible Care Global Charter. Guidance is also being developed to support improved harmonization of RC assessment across 30 different federa- tions in Europe. The importance of na- tional associations is stressed by Cefic Executive Director William Garcia who notes: “The role of national associations is a fundamental success factor of the rejuvenation project... they are in con- trol of Responsible Care deployment in their region." A small team has been set up to ensure this role is clearly defined in the updated RCMF, and that associa- tions’ national guiding principles are linked to the Global Charter. Designed particularly to bring many more small and medium sized enter- prises (SMEs) under the Responsible Care umbrella, the new approach will also support more advanced organiza¬ tions that want to better align their man- agement systems with the broader is- sues encompassed by sustainability. The Responsible Care self-assessment tool was tested with 51 companies, including SMEs, and 13 national asso- ciations from 19 countries, who gave a very positive response on content, ma- turity levels and functionalities of the tool. Launch will take place through 2019 including local language transla- tions and capacity building for imple- mentation next year, and reassessment of the project in 2022-23.
DEFINING THE 4
MATURITY LEVELS
Level 1: Comply and Commit to RC = commitment to RC and compliance to legislation if applicable Level 2: Initiate and Plan = PD: Plan- ning and Doing: ad hoc actions Level 3: Improve continuously  = PDCA: Plan, Do, Check and Act: full management system approach Level 4: Promote and Sustain Excellence = improved performance achieved, improved effectiveness, sharing best practices, front runner. R EPORTING Room for Improvement on Transport & Distribution; Associations start Process
Safety data gathering
Only around half of RCLG associations met the October 2018 reporting deadline for 2016 data but more have submit- ted since, helping provide a clearer picture as to members' performance against Key Performance Indicators and imple- mentation of Responsible Care and the ICCA's Global Product Strategy. One of the traditionally lowest areas for reporting is transporta¬ tion incidents where less than 40% of members provide data, even though this is a key area of concern and one where many chemical-related incidents occur. The RCLG is looking at whether its renewed engagement with the International Chemical Trade Association (ICTA) might offer potential op- portunities to improve on this low rate. ICCA and ICTA signed an MoU last year (issue #12) aimed at strengthening coopera- tion between the two organizations. ICTA Board Member Robert Stuyt (pictured) was at the recent RCLG meeting in New Zealand and said: "This is why it is so important to cooperate. It is [ICTA's] problem but it is also yours. We should invest more in supply chain RC," to improve safety. Cooperation on capacity building activities is a key component of the two organization's MoU and will help both industry sec- tors to enhance sound chemicals management worldwide. The process safety reporting challenge was also highlighted during the meeting. Mandatory reporting against this KPI starts 2020, and many RCLG associations are already gathering process safety event (PSE) data from their membership. Twelve associations submitted data on over 500 PSEs high- lighting the need for an effective and robust communications plan to report these numbers to global stakeholders. The RCLG will calculate a Process Safety Event Rate (PSER) and the aggregated rate at national level will be reported publicly by ICCA when enough data is available (see also page 7). RCLG Chairman Baudouin Kelecom stressed that industry needs to be willing to acknowledge mistakes and must value reporting rather than be sanctioned for it. Association Alert! The ICCA KPI website is open until 31 March 2019 for the 2019 Reporting Cycle for collection of performance data from the 2017 calendar year.  Information provided when complet- ing the RCLG Survey and the GPS Survey should reflect your association's current status. The KPI website was updated last year to enhance the user interface and streamline reporting. For queries or to obtain support materials – the ICCA Guidance for Reporting Perfor- mance, including Process Safety Guidance and The KPI Web- site Quick Start Guide – contact Bradford Johnson (tel: +1 202 249 6188) or, for Cefic member associations, contact Giulia Casasole (tel: +32 2 4369405). 3
Capacity Building Targets Africa
ICCA CAPACITY BUILDING in 2018 supported 27 events with Council.  A second workshop hosted by KCS and US-based human resources and nearly €300,000 in funding under its  Sandia National Laboratories on chemical safety and security improved program of new training materials and communica- provided further opportunity to introduce RC to another group tions. Some initial approvals for 2019 activities were secured of stakeholders including industry representatives and aca- in January including a "unique request" from the German demics.  Several organizations have volunteered time and government to support implementation of the Globally Har- expertise including the Dow PS Academy and KCS, while monized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals BASF and Sasol continue to lend active support to KAM's (GHS) in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. effort. KCS is looking to introduce a university degree course on chemical safety modelled on RC. The African continent is a priority target for capacity building after ICCA's strong focus on Asia, particularly China and ● A representative of the Angolan government expressed Stewardship Academy, Kenya Chemical Society (KCS), Responsible Care New Zealand and the American Chemistry India, in recent years. Those efforts led to both the Indian interest in RC after a meeting in Doha in late October. The Chemical Council and the China Petroleum & Chemical Director General of the Instituto Nacional de Inovacao E Industry Federation being accepted as members of ICCA in  Tecnologias Industriais, part of the Ministry of Industry, is 2018. seeking to form a chemical industry association and to pro- The  new  Africa  Task  Force  (ATF)  is  likely  to  spearhead  mote RC in the country. Portugal's chemicals association efforts through corporates rather than governments although  APQuimica has agreed to support Cefic in gathering relevant upskilling emergency response services can be a good moti-  information to help the Portuguese-speaking country move vator to get the authorities engaged. There has been encour-  forward with plans. aging progress in Kenya where AFT members participated in a series of workshops and other meetings in Nairobi last July to build support for RC among members of the Kenya Associa- tion of Manufacturers (KAM) and other stake- holders. Around 30 industry representatives attended a KAM-sponsored workshop hosted by local ag- chem company, OSHO Chemicals, for an over- view of RC and technical discussions on trans- portation safety and GHS implementation. Speakers included representatives from KAM, OSHO   Chemicals,   Sasol,   Dow's   Product  Participants from the Sandia/Kenya Chemical Society workshop
MOROCCO
A Hub for Growth
T HE M OROCCAN chemical association Fédération de la Chimie et Parachimie (FCP) hosted a successful two-day Responsible Care conference in September 2018 with more than 100 attendees, including regulators, from a number of other French-speaking countries including Ivory Coast, Mada- gascar, Niger, Senegal and Tunisia. The event generated considerable in- terest from participants and follow up actions are already being pursued with ICCA by representatives from Ivory Coast and Tunisia with the aim of intro- ducing RC into those countries. Supported by the RCLG and financed through ICCA capacity building funds, there was a strong focus on the key principles and benefits of Responsible Care implementation. UN Environment was also represented with a presenta- tion highlighting how RC contributes to sound chemicals management and the UN's Strategic Approach to Internation- al Chemicals Management. Delegates also heard from a representative of Morocco’s Environment Ministry. FCP Director Bouchaib El Hachadi described it as “a very encouraging experience in Casablanca… many peo- ple attended, they listened and dis- cussed, and [are planning to] go back and start moves to launch Responsible Care.” The aim is to “keep the contacts and momentum going now that people are more informed about what Respon- sible Care can do for them." RCLG chairman Baudouin Kelecom says the conference offers “a very good opportunity for the RCLG to get into French-speaking African countries…we received a lot of good feedback from participants." ICCA support has been welcomed by UN Environment: the new Africa Task Force is looking at a broad division of responsibilities for the continent as a whole, with Cefic leading discussions with French-speaking countries. Chemicals management – particularly distribution – is an important issue for many countries which have little or no manufacturing base but are users of agrochemicals and mining chemicals for example. 4

Meet Local Needs
W HILST INDUSTRY ' S global initiative is based on a common set of fundamental features, every association that signs up to Responsible Care already oper- ates under a unique set of regulatory, cultural and national circumstances. Tailoring the RC initiative to work within this framework helps ensure it delivers effective and appropriate outcomes for that country's particular circumstances, meeting environmental, health, safety and, increasingly, security needs for manufacturers and users of chemicals as well as society at large. Responsible Care New Zealand (RCNZ) – celebrating its 30-year anni- versary in 2019 – is no exception and represents a small country with no ma- jor chemical manufacturing but a heavy user base, which has resulted in a pro- gram tailored to meet local chemicals management needs. One characteristic of RCNZ’s Responsi- ble Care initiative is the profile of its 160 -plus membership which represents the whole lifecycle of products from import- ers to waste disposal companies, with Partner organizations including govern- ment agencies, local authorities, the Armed Forces and the healthcare sec- tor. That’s resulted in a strong focus on incidents involving chemicals transport and end use. This sparsely populated nation, which has mostly avoided inherited industrial pollution, was the world's first country to fully implement the UN’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). RCNZ readily shares its experience and support materials to support others follow suit although despite best efforts, as CEO Barry Dyer points out, “GHS is falling short of its global goals”. A large SME base means compa- nies generally lack specialist exper- tise in chemicals management. RCNZ fills that gap by upskilling peo- ple, providing the necessary training and certification on chemicals han- dling. This is accomplished via one of the association's lasting success sto- ries – its three-tier site performance and compliance evaluation process known as the Premises Inspection and Certification (PRINCE® and PRINCE Gold®) award. Some 200 inspectors cover 530,000 workplaces so it's essen- tial to ensure competency across the workforce, enforcement agencies and emergency responders, notes Barry. Recruitment is an ongoing challenge and despite best efforts, he regrets poor participation in RCNZ on the part of several multinational companies doing needs of a small country with no major chemical manufacturing but has a heavy user base and a unique environment that needs safeguarding business – albeit not local manufactur- ing – in New Zealand. Outside the na- tional agenda, Barry Dyer has carried the torch for Responsible Care to sever- al new countries across the globe. In the past seven years alone, he has helped set up organizations in Sri Lanka, Croatia and Kenya, and jointly leads the ICCA Capacity Building Task- force with JCIA member company Mit- sui (see below).
AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER
Tribute was paid to Barry Dyer, head of Responsible Care New Zealand (RCNZ), by Dow Chemical's Mike Witt, co-chair of the Chemical Policy & Health Leadership Group, as he opened the joint meeting with RCLG in Rotorua in November . Presenting the renowned chocoholic with a box of the "world's finest chocolates" from Belgium (where else!), Mike thanked Barry "for all he does for our industry and for RC globally... There is no better example of a leader of Responsible Care in what our indus- try regards as a best practice…thank you for what you have done to elevate the chemical industry…” During the gala dinner, Barry was presented with a more tradition- al memento for his outstanding contribution to Responsible Care (see photo, right) and received a richly-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the Rotorua meeting. As well as leading RCNZ Barry puts in a tremendous number of hours at the international level. Key among those activities are his role as a member of the ICCA Board, as a hands-on co-chair of the Capacity Building Task Force, supporting other chemical asso- ciations with the introduction and implementation of the UN Glob- ally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemi- cals (GHS); and working as a mentor with a number of associa- tions developing Responsible Care programs in various parts of the globe. S
With the theme "Chemistry of the Future: Universe of Possibilities and Challenges", Abiquim's 17th Atuação Responsável (AR; Responsible Care) Congress enjoyed a record audience of around 650. Participants included rep- resentatives of government, interna- tional institutions, regulatory bodies, associations, NGOs, trade unions, in- dustry professionals and logistics com- panies. There’s been an increase of around 60% in delegate numbers since 2012, says Luiz Shizuo Harayashiki, business manager and head of Responsible Care at Abiquim. Held in São Paulo in August 2018, the event involved several packed side events addressing issues including regulatory models for safe chemicals management; emissions control and air quality; industry interaction with com¬ munities and society; diversity; and safe storage of chemicals. A CEO meeting drew more than 60 participants including 10 potential new associates. At the opening ceremony, chair of the Abiquim Board of Directors Marcos De Marchi said his association aims to engage with more companies to en¬ courage adoption of Responsible Care. He said discussions would cover issues impacting industrial activity as well as “celebrating the chemical industry’s commitment to continuous improve- ment of its processes and products, generating greater security for employ- ees and neighboring communities." The strong international presence at the 17 th AR Congress – with guests from 12 countries and representatives from six international organizations – was warmly welcomed. Speakers in- cluded Jukka Malm, Depu- ty Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA); Director of Health Canada, David Morin; and former RCLG chairman Patrick Vanden- hoeke. Representatives from several international companies also made presentations. Shizuo said the associa- tion’s strong relationship with government was reflected in the attend- ance of representatives from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Indus- try, Foreign Trade and Services. He also highlighted the active participation of Companhia Ambiental de São Paulo (Environmental Agency), the Fire De- partment, Navy, the National Waterway Transportation Agency ANTAQ, togeth- er with representatives of NGOs, trade unions and downstream sector associ- ations. Letícia Reis Carvalho, General Coordi- nator of Environmental Quality and Waste Management of the Environ- ment Ministry and Brazil's SAICM rep- resentative, was also welcomed to the plenary session where Deputy Orlando Silva, coordinator of Workplace Health and Safety and representative of the Chemical Parliamentary Front (FPQuímica) praised the chemical in- dustry's sustainability efforts, activities aimed at protecting the environment, and the safety of employees and com- munities. Responsible Care KPIs (www.abiquim.org.br) were presented among several international speakers at the event Photo: GrupoPhoto Fotografia/Abiquim by Coordinator of the Responsible Care Management Committee Marcos Bar- ros Cruz; President of Plastivida, Mi- guel Bahiense, highlighted the " Zero Loss of Pellets Manual" (www.porummarlimpo.org.br). Weber Porto from Abiquim's Sustainable De- velopment Committee presented a study carried out by Fundação Dom Cabral, the "Sustainability Benchmark- ing of the Chemical Industry", which identifies the most relevant economic, social and environmental issues for the chemical industry. Abiquim's chief executive Fernando Figueiredo focused on the work of chemical industry employees, members of the Consultative Community Coun- cils (CCCs) and journalists covering the association's activities. He noted: "Abiquim is an entity in which NGOs, society, politicians and journalists must feel free to discuss the topics of interest of Brazilian society; we want to be an open [organization] where everyone can honestly discuss chemical industry 6
Strong Support for Security
ICCA capacity building support for an advanced four- day training course held by Responsible Care Indonesia (RCI) aimed to improve and strengthen implementation of the RCI Security Code. The event held last July in Bali, Indonesia, involved 25 training participants (see photo), most of them part of the team that carries out verification of RCI members companies. RCI carried out the training in collaboration with AcuTech Consulting, sponsored by the US-CSP (Chemical Security Program). Dan Roczniak from ACC also provided in-person support for the event. An important outcome of the training was a commitment from RCI to review and develop key activities linked to the full set of the association's RC codes, deepen the methodol- ogy for both security risk and vulnerability assessments, plus an enhanced focus on physical site security, supply chain and cyber security.
Workshop Changes Get Results
S INCE 2015, the Japan Chemical Industry Association has delivered a series of capacity building workshops through- out the ASEAN region as part of preparations for mandato- ry reporting on ICCA’s new process safety metric (PSM) from 2020. Practical training involved demonstrating data input about a process safety event at a plant. JCIA presenters were concerned that the Q&A session after lectures drew only a few questions and decided to try a new approach at a workshop conducted for Responsible Care Indonesia (RCI) in September last year. "We asked over 30 participants to bring their own computers," explains Kozo Tachibana, General Manager of JCIA's Responsible Care Department, "and after the standard lecture, we pro- vided 10 examples of process events including three major disasters of chemical plants. Then we asked participants to input the 10 examples on the Excel ICCA Data Reporting Form by themselves," using their own laptops. This exercise was very successful not only in identifying areas of confusion but also in encouraging participants to be more proactive with their questioning. It also helped to achieve a major improvement in their understanding of the PSM and exactly what was required under the reporting process. Another option to enhance understanding and buy-in, sug- gested Kozo Tachibana, is to circulate a report form of pro- cess safety event in advance of a workshop event and ask participants to complete the form with details of actual pro- cess events that have taken place at their own plants.
RCLA Looks at
Valorization Options
HELD IN conjunction with the 17 th Abiquim Congress (page 6), representatives from the national associations of Argenti- na, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela took part in the Responsible Care Latin America (RCLA) meeting with support from ACC. Discussions focused on key topics including the status of RC auditing through the region, looking at the different approaches used, and exploring opportunities for harmonizing checklists. Implementation experience and capacity building activities were shared and the group kick-started important planning for an RC Valorization Program to enhance the value of third party certification for companies. The group is looking to secure favorable terms for RC member companies when renewing licenses related to production and fire risk for example, as well as reduced insurance premiums. RCLA is monitoring implementation of the UN Globally Har- monized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemi- cals (GHS) in the region and keeping track of progress in individual countries. Argentina, for example, is introducing virtual GHS training for mixtures. Activities related to the implementation of the ICCA’s Global Product Strategy (GPS) also continues including transla- tion into Spanish and adaptation of the GPS Guide developed by ACC and the AQUARELA Guide developed by Abiquim. ACC's Bradford Johnson presented case studies on the practical application of the GPS Guide, while input from Health Canada showed the country's experience in implementing its Chemi- cals Management Plan. ▶ The next RCLA meeting is scheduled to take place May 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted by Cámara de la Industria Química y Petroquími- ca (CIQyP). 7
RCLG meeting Zhenghe Group, leader unit of the Pro- cess   Safety WG; and Zhou Zhongtian, Vice General Manager of Yinhe Chemi- cal, a member of the Pollution Preven- tion and Treatment WG. Chen Yuhua, from the Ministry of Safety and Environ- mental Protection, was also part of the delegation. China Ji Jianjun highlighted the CPCIF
Taking the Responsible
Care concept into the
classroom
visited Lanzhou Petrochemical Poly- technic and Jilin Vocational College of Industry and Technology. In 2018, over 96% of Lanzhou graduates found em- ployment with 45% employed by top 500 chemical companies. The industry team also visited emergency response training facilities. In other activities to strengthen links with academia, students from the Chemical and Biological Engineering faculty at Zhejiang University supported Shanghai Chemical Industry Park in a two-day Open-to-Public event. The aim was also to help improve students’ un- derstanding of and interest in chemical engineering. More than 120 students and teachers from Zhejiang University visited the Park’s exhibition hall, emer- gency response centre and ecological wetland of the industry park, as well as several companies including BASF, Covestro Polymer (China), Evonik Spe- ciality Chemical, and Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co. T HE C HINA P ETROLEUM & Chemical Responsible Care College Working Industry Federation documented a comprehensive catalogue of activities Group which was set up in 2018 to sup- and events in its recently-published port academia with related activities 2017 Responsible Care Annual Report. such as the teaching of safety, environ- The report included information on a mental protection and occupational health. The group is focused on base set of Key Performance Indicators “popularization of the Responsible Care (KPIs) for the first time. CPCIF fielded a strong delegation at concept and is taking it into the class- the recent RCLG meeting in New Zea- room." land. In his presentation to delegates, Ji   Over recent months, CPCIF executives Jianjun, head of the CPCIF CEOs SIGN RESPONSIBLE CARE GLOBAL CHARTER Responsible Care Working Committee, said the federa- A special Responsible Care Global Charter signing ceremony took place during the 2018 tion was giving high priority China Chemical Parks Green Development Conference in November 2018 in Ningbo. Left to the organization, re- to right: Chen Zhaoyang, Deputy Director of Administrative Committee of Quanhui Petro- searching and development chemical Industrial Park; Gu Zhangbiao, Deputy Director of Administrative Committee of of KPIs “suitable for China’s Hangzhou Bay Shangyu Economic and Technological Development Zone; Han Lixiang, national conditions”, and Secretary and Director of Daqing Anda Economic Development Zone; Zhang Xiaozhong, “mobilized members to sub- Deputy Director of Administrative Committee of Jiangsu Suhuai High-tech Industrial Devel- mit data". KPIs were collect- opment Zone; Wan Yanbin, Director of the Environmental Protection Bureau of Lianyun- ed from 260 organizations gang Xuwei New District; Zhao Zhihua, Director of the Economic Development Bureau of including state-owned, pri- Anning Industrial Park vate and joint venture com- panies. Ji Jianjun also shared an overview of the nine work groups' extensive 2018 ac- tivities with participants at the RCLG meeting and out- lined plans to strengthen RC capability and promotional activities during the year ahead. He noted that the most significant challenges for the immediate future were the impact of economic pressures on the continued take up of RC and the all-too familiar issues of securing SME buy-in. CPCIF representation in New Zealand included work group (WG) members Han Qili, General Manager of The event also sig- AICM Ceremony Spotlights nalled the end of anoth- er successful Open-to- Global Charter and Industry Public campaign, a key part of AICM’s Respon- Open Days sible Care efforts since 2009. L IKE ITS CPCIF counterpart, the Association of International AICM says the cam- Chemical Manufacturers (AICM) has been active during paigns have proved an 2018 with a range of Responsible Care activities, and the interactive and effective way to instil public trust two Chinese organizations continue to cooperate closely. AICM’s Beryl Ma said 28 RC-related activities took place or in a sustainable chemi- were supported by AICM last year including setting up new cal industry, to advo- sub-committees on security and sustainability. The associa- cate information trans- tion’s “ambitious” program for its peer review process needs parency, and to en- the involvement of a pool of industry experts. hance communications Ongoing work with Chemical Parks took place under collab- with the public and orative efforts with CPCIF. Around 40 parks out of some 650 neighbourhood com- throughout China are CPCIF members. munities. In 2018, 28 AICM made a special farewell One of the year's highlights took place in early September member companies presentation to outgoing RCLG when more than 70 delegates from member companies and took part, inviting the Chairman Patrick Vandenhoek public to visit over 40 a dozen media representatives gathered in Shanghai for a during the ceremony special ceremony featuring a group signing of the Responsi- sites throughout China ble Care Global Charter and the 10th Open-to-Public Day. under the theme of AICM hosted the Charter signing with special guest speak- “Green Architecture Inspired by Innovative Chemistry”. Ef- ers including Patrick Vandenhoeke, then RCLG Chairman; Ji   forts involved plant visits, on-site demonstrations and com- Jianjun, CPCIF Executive Vice Secretary of the Responsible munity engagement. Care Working Committee; and Lin Jianyi, Chairman of The Open-To-Public campaign has "established a communi- cation channel between the industry and the public in a sci- Huafeng Group. In all, 35 AICM member companies signed or renewed their entific and proactive manner, and to promote the develop- commitments to the Charter and contributed to a lively ment of a sustainable and respected chemical industry," said roundtable discussion on the topics of "Responsible Care Jeff Zhu. Implementations in China" and "Chemistry Shapes the Fu- ture". Jeff Zhu, Chairman of AICM, said the ceremony aimed “to breathe new life into our drive for widespread adoption" of the updated Charter and "reiterate our commitment" to Re- sponsible Care. Patrick Vandenhoeke noted that: "The role of AICM is im- portant and the commitments of the China regional heads of international companies are critical." OPEN-TO-PUBLIC  PARTICIPATING COMPANIES Air Liquide, Arkema, AkzoNobel, Allnex, Ashland, BASF, Cabot, Celanese, Clariant, Covestro, Dow, DSM, Eastman, Evonik, Henkel, Ingevity, Kemira, Linde, LANXESS, Mitsubishi, Merck, Methanex, PPG, SABIC, Solvay, Topsafe, Trinseo, Wacker
T HE GLOBAL SPREAD of the American Chemistry Council's RC14001® certification model continued throughout 2018 and apart from the US there are now an additional nine geographies where the trademark is registered: China, In- dia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and Taiwan. Recent developments also strengthen the introduction of RC14001 in Europe alongside Cefic's work on the Respon- sible Care rejuvenation initiative. Development of a Re- sponsible Care maturity model to show progression of as- sociations’ RC programs is well underway and involves moves towards global harmonization of RC elements under a framework of internationally-approved norms. A core ele- ment of the initiative is enhanced alignment to selected ISO standards, including RC14001, and could, for the first time, create a harmonized vision of RC in the US and EU. In other parts of the world, ACC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pakistan Chemical Manu- facturers Association (PCMA) last year. PCMA joined the global Responsible Care community in 2017 and is now developing elements of its RC program, including a certifi- cation model based on RC14001.  Under the MOU which runs until April 2019, PCMA is promoting the use of RC14001 by its members and assisting in the development of a supporting implementation, oversight and accreditation infrastructure in Pakistan. And at a recent RC workshop in Melbourne for Chemistry Australia, RC14001 featured among a range of topics in discussions (see panel). As reported last year (issue #11), the ACC and Canadian chemicals association CIAC signed an MoU in 2017 where- by the latter adopted the RCMS/RC14001 certification model as an option for its members to fulfil their CIAC veri- fication requirement. Companies in numerous countries – including non-RCLG members – have adopted RC14001 as an effective audit process for their sites. It has also been taken up widely in the Gulf region and to locations in Asia and Europe by GPCA member companies. Facilities are certified to RC14001 in around 30 countries across the globe, includ- ing non-chemical manufacturers. ACC works with other RCLG member associations interested in adopting RC14001 as their verification model. Discussion of third-party verification as a means to strengthen the effectiveness of Responsible Care and its credibility with external stakeholders is an ongoing topic for the RCLG.  The need for a tiered approach to ensure it works for all – from mature associations in the developed world through to new joiners in less developed countries – is well-recognized. Equally, any approach needs to be ap- propriate for the membership base.
AUSTRALIA
Reinvigorating
Responsible Care
In December 2018, Chemistry Austral- ia held a workshop to examine ways to reinvigorate the Responsible Care brand and program in Australia.  The workshop examined the role of chemis- try in modern society with a presenta- tion by Prof John Warner (Adj Profes- sor of Green Chemistry, Monash Uni- versity) as well as looking at Australian social license and business reputation trends.  Alexa Burr and Bradford John- son from the American Chemistry Council provided insights into recent RC developments in the USA. Participants observed that the hallmarks of Re- sponsible Care were now core elements of most chemical businesses' health, safety and envi- ronmental (HSE) man- agement programs. While some businesses conduct their HSE pro- grams under the RC ban- ner, this approach is not universal. Chemistry Australia will now undertake further work with members to explore the views expressed during the   involve the examination and develop- workshop to progress the reinvigoration   ment of ACC's certification process plans; a key element of the process will   RC14001 in the Australian context. ONE OF FOUR PROJECTS being UN ENVIRONMENT carried out by industry in partnership AND ICCA with UN Environment under their COMPLETE JOINT Memorandum of Understanding was PROJECT ON completed at the end of 2018. CHEMICALS IN The finalized ICCA-UN Environment COMMERCE Data Availability study indicates that there are between 40,000-60,000 chemicals being used in commerce. Of these, around 6,000 account for the vast majority – some 99% - of total volumes. The study highlights the fact that while much data on chemical substances is publicly available on websites, there is a lack of information on issues such as safe use and exposure in devel- oping countries. THE 2018 RESPONSIBLE CARE Status Re- port was launched at the RCLG meet- ing in Rotorua, New Zealand in November. The report gives an overview of Responsible Care at the global level, together with focused chapters on priority areas such as chemicals management, sustainability, performance reporting and capacity building. There is also a major section dedicated to highlight- ing the work of individual RCLG mem- ber associations worldwide. Copies can be downloaded from the ICCA website.
NEWS BRIEFS
A DECLARATION of Support is being drawn up by the RCLG to enable national as- sociations to visibly demon- strate the same commitment to the Responsible Care Glob- al Charter as member compa- nies. Signing the Declaration will commit association lead- ers to help member compa- nies fulfil their Charter obliga- tions; to cooperate with gov- ernments and organizations in the development of effective and efficient safety, health, environmental and security laws, regulations and stand- ards; and to work with others. It will focus on those areas where industry knows it can deliver and have practical influence. THE CHINA PETROLEUM and Chemical Industry Feder- ation and the Indian Chemistry Council have been officially welcomed as Members of ICCA.  Both organizations have previously been classi- fied as holding Observer sta- tus. RCLG will continue to work closely with both organi- zations to grow their RC pro- grams and get new compa- nies on board. CHEMICAL ASSOCIATIONS are still struggling to ensure multinational companies that have signed up to the Global Charter are honoring their global commitment to Respon- sible Care. The RCLG's re- cent meeting in New Zealand highlighted the dilemma of countries where MNCs are Charter signatories but are nevertheless not members of the national chemical associa- tion. In Canada, for example, there are some 20 such exam- ples. RCLG will focus efforts on rebalancing branding and credibility through its rejuvena- tion program to halt the ero- sion of associations' role as custodians of the RC brand. THE NEXT ASIA PACIFIC Responsible Care Conference (APRCC) will be held in South Korea on 7-8 November 2019, coinciding with the 20th anni- versary of the launch of the Korea Responsible Care Council.  The RCLG will be represented at the meeting in Seoul to show support for KRCC, which last hosted this conference in 2003. The APRCC has proved a suc- cessful means of bringing together regional associations to share experiences and sup- port the continued growth of RC in the region. FRANCE’S NATIONAL CHEMICALS association has undertaken a rebranding in line with many of its counter- parts around the world. The former Union des Industries Chimiques has been renamed France Chimie. The new con- tact email of our colleague Aurore Fries, head of Respon- sible Care in France, is  af- ries@francechimie.fr. SOUTH AFRICA'S Chemical and Allied Industries Associa- tion received a response rate of more than 80% to the 125 questionnaires sent to mem- bers for compilation of its 2018 Responsible Care per- formance report. Several new metrics were reported on for the first time in this year's re- port including indicators ena- bling the tracking of perfor- mance in handling and stor- age incidents, process safety incidents, external stakeholder complaints, and environmental incidents. Road transportation incidents continue to be of concern despite the continued increase in the proportion of relevant signatories that im- plement behavior-based safe- ty programs for drivers, in- creasing towards 90%. In fact, the four fatalities reported were related to road transpor- tation or associated activities prompting CAIA to explore how to gather further infor- mation to help identify and share best practices and de- velop solutions. AS OF 1 JANUARY 2019, European chemicals associa- tion Cefic is based in central Brussels at Belliard 40. The new project located in the heart of the Leopold Quarter has an eco-friendly design and construction. Cefic will share its new office space with PlasticsEurope and several other affiliates.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Debra Phillips   A stream of accolades and farewell messages from RCLG colleagues followed Debra's September's announce- ment of her imminent departure from the American Chemistry Council. She was widely praised for her extensive work, including a prolonged period as the global Secretariat for the RCLG during which she helped steer Responsi- ble Care through some key stag- es of its evolution and geographic expansion. As ACC's Vice Presi- dent of Sustainability & Market Outreach, Debra contributed insight, guidance and valuable ex- pertise to the Responsible Care community and was instrumen¬ tal in helping strengthen the initiative not only in the US but in many other parts of the world. In her new position as Vice Presi¬ dent of Global Industry Services at the American Petroleum Insti- tute she is leading API programs related to industry safety, envi- ronmental and sustainability standards, certifications, training and publications. Debra offered the RCLG her "sincere thanks for your leadership, dedication, and tireless energy in support of the Responsible Care initiative." Ken Tsang  ICCA's China Responsible Care Advisor Ken has stepped down after six years and was warmly thanked during a special presentation at the joint RC/CP&HLG meeting in Roto- rua. His wise advice, extensive knowledge and boundless ener¬ gy were key to smoothing the path for the China Petroleum & Chemical Industry Federa- tion becoming a member of ICCA. Prior to this role, he had four years with China's long-standing member associ- ation, AICM, and helped en- sure the two organizations successfully worked together over the past decade. Thirty years with Dow Chemical laid the foundation for Ken's “life time goal to promote Respon- sible Care, and continuously improve the performance of environment, health and safety of the chemical industry and along its value chain". While overdue for official retirement, Ken is still active as a Managing Partner at KKT & Associates based in Vancouver, Canada, in a similar advisory role on a global basis. Debbie Jackson was a journalist with Chemical Week magazine when Responsible Care first came to the attention of the trade press in the late-1980s.Debbie is retiring after around 20 years as a com- munications consultant with RCLG having enjoyed a rewarding career working with the exceptionally ded- icated people that make up the Responsible Care community. She started up the independent RC magazine Careline in 1995 with a fellow CW journalist which ran for more than a decade. During that time and up to the present day, Debbie also worked on produc- ing ICCA's Responsible Care Status Reports, this newsletter and other communications tools.