The Responsible Care World Charter

As the concrete application of sustainable development principles in the chemical industry, the Responsible Care Programme has tackled the larger issues linked to the sector such as globalisation, climate change, questions of nutrition and food supply, population growth, development issues, public health questions posed by chemical products, and the need for greater transparency and openness on the part of the industry. It has also been a matter of seizing the opportunity to guarantee greater consistency among national Responsible Care programmes developed over the years.

This two-fold purpose sparked the Responsible Care World Charter, launched in 2006 by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA). It is the result of examining the chemical industry’s practices and performance and their evolution since the 80s. The charter emphasises new challenges that the chemical industry and society as a whole face as well as the emergence of a pervasive dialogue in society concerning sustainable development.