Responsible Care helps the industry to operate safely, profitably and with care for future generations. Through the sharing of information and a rigorous system of checklists, performance indicators and verification procedures, Responsible Care enables the industry to demonstrate how its health, safety and environmental performance has improved over the years, and to develop policies for further improvement.

Responsible Care requires companies to be open and transparent with their stakeholders – from local communities to environmental lobby groups, from local authorities and government to the media, and of course the general public. It has driven a transformation in the way that companies operate: from being secretive and defensive about their activities, to being more open, honest, and actively seeking dialogue and partnerships with stakeholders.

The initiative is intentionally flexible in order to transcend differences in culture, national legislation, and so on, thereby enabling all chemical associations and their member companies – wherever they are in the world – to adopt Responsible Care and adapt it to suit their situation.

Nevertheless, there is a common set of Fundamental Features that all associations must adhere to, ensuring the initiative remains true to its core ethic.

Responsible Care is the world’s leading voluntary industry initiative - it is run in 53 countries whose combined chemical industries account for nearly 90% of global chemicals production.