Responsible Care is a global, voluntary initiative developed autonomously by the chemical industry for the chemical industry - it is run in 52 countries whose combined chemical industries account for nearly 90% of global chemicals production. It stands for the chemical industry's desire to improve health, safety, and environmental performance.
The signatory chemical companies agree to commit themselves to improve their performances in the fields of environmental protection, occupational safety and health protection, plant safety, product stewardship and logistics, as well as to continuously improve the dialog with their neighbors and the public, independent from legal requirements.
As part of Responsible Care initative the International Council of Chemistry introduced the The Global Product Strategy in 2006.
Critical analyses of Responsible Care have been done by Andrew King and Michael Lenox [1], Michael Givel [2], and Moffet, Bregha and Middelkoop[3]
Responsible Care was launched by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (formerly the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association - CCPA) in 1985.[4] The scheme evolved and in 2006 The Responsible Care Global Charter was launched at the UN-led International Conference on Chemicals Management in Dubai. [5]