Responsible Care® Program

Objectives:

Responsible Care program is a voluntary international initiative in the chemical industry. The sector is committed to strict self-regulation to enhance its health, safety, and environmental performance in all aspects.

The program is overseen by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), which has defined basic criteria of Responsible Care.

• Through Responsible Care, chemical manufacturers, national chemical industry associations and their partners commit to:
• Enable a corporate leadership culture that proactively supports safe chemicals management.
• Safeguard people and the environment by continuously improving our environmental, health and safety performance, facility security, and the safety of our products.
• Strengthen chemical management systems around the globe.
• Work with business partners to promote safe chemicals management within their own operations.
• Engage with stakeholders, respond to their concerns and communicate openly on our performance and products.
• Contribute to sustainability through development of innovative technologies and other solutions to societal challenges.

Background:

Responsible Care program was initiated in Canada in 1985 by the Canadian national chemical industry association, which developed fundamental principles of Responsible Care. Shortly afterward, European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) adopted the program with the aim of implementing it across Europe through national chemical industry associations.

In Hungary, MAVESZ and its member companies have been participating in the program since the early 1990s. During MAVESZ’s 2023 general assembly, its member companies formally renewed their commitment, with 17 chemical producers and significant hazardous material storage capacity distributor businesses currently participating in the program.

Chemical companies that meet program’s requirements can obtain Responsible Care certificate. Hungarian Chemical Industry Association initiated its program for obtaining the certificate through independent auditors in 2014, further strengthening its members’ commitment to the principles and goals of Responsible Care.

Responsible Care Certificate:

After the certification process under Responsible Care program is completed, a company, if it has met all the requirements, receives Responsible Care certificate from MAVESZ. Following this, the company is entitled to use Responsible Care logo and name for five years, following the guidelines of logo usage. Using the logo for product advertising is prohibited. After five years, a review must be conducted to extend the use of Responsible Care logo and name.

Comparison to EMAS and ISO 14001:

Like Responsible Care program, European Union’s EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) Regulation and International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 14001 standard are based on voluntary commitments of companies. However, a significant difference is that Responsible Care program is not limited to environmental requirements but also evaluates the company’s industrial safety, safety technology, health, and performance. It has a broader scope than the other two. Another important difference is that the requirements set by Responsible Care program were specifically developed for assessing the performance of chemical companies.