If there was a wine and cheese social for global charters, then the Responsible Care Global Charter would act distinctly different from the others. It would probably hang out by the punch bowl and make idle conversation, friendly but clearly not part of the crowd. Thats because the Responsible Care Global Charter contains several principles geared toward the long-term improvement of risk assessment, risk management, and information on products and their safe handling. In the area of social responsibility, the charter calls for increased dialogue with chemical industry stakeholders.

The global chemical association (ICCA) presented the RCGC at the recent United Nations’ International Conference on Chemicals Management in Dubai. The charter summarizes the new tenets of the global chemical industry’s Responsible Care initiative, which was launched in 1985 to promote continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental performance. Companies from 52 countries have committed themselves to Responsible Care via their national member associations, and recently Bayer and BASF signed the charter.