Abstract

Since 1988, the U.S. chemical industry, through the American Chemistry Council, has implemented Responsible Care®, a voluntary program to achieve improvements in environmental, health and safety performance beyond levels required by the U.S. government. The program has resulted in significant reductions in releases to air, land and water, major improvements in workplace and community safety and expanded programs to research and test chemicals for potential health and environmental impacts.

This year, a strategic review of Responsible Care® examined options to further strengthen program commitments and enhance the public credibility of the industry. Program enhancements adopted by the American Chemistry Council as a condition of membership include:

  1. implementing a modern management system consistent with internationally accepted best practices;

  2. independent third party certification of the management system to ensure appropriate actions are taken to improve performance;

  3. tracking of performance based on economic, environmental, health and safety, societal and product related metrics;

  4. public reporting of performance metrics on both an individual company and industry wide basis; and

  5. integration of environmental, health and safety performance with business operations' management.

In addition, new performance requirements for site, value chain and cyber security have also been adopted by ACC members.

Introduction

During the 1990's several major developments have caused the U.S. chemical industry to reexamine how to further improve its environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance. These include:

  • Expanding regulation of industry processes and products.

  • Increasing public right-to-know initiatives and public reporting of EHS performance.

  • Growing external stakeholder participation in government and corporate decisionmaking processes.

  • Corporate restructuring, merger and acquisition activity and the globalization of business activities and responsibilities.

  • Emerging development of global management systems and standards for EHS practices.

These and other trends have influenced the chemical industry's thinking not only for managing EHS issues and improving performance but also for seeking opportunities to integrate EHS and business management processes. They have served as the basis for a strategic re-examination of the Responsible Care® program in the United States during January-June 2002.

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TAKING ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY AND SECURITY PERFORMANCE THROUGH RESPONSIBLE CARE TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Enhancing In June 2002 the Board of Directors of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) endorsed the Responsible Care® enhancement of the Responsible Care® program through a series of decisions that a

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