About Responsible Care

Responsible Care (RC) is the global voluntary initiative of the chemical industry that commits its management policy to secure and protect the environment, health and safety (EHS) of its stakeholders.
Responsible Care is an ethic, attitude, and philosophy of thinking by companies on how to conduct business and relate this to their role in society. It emphasizes corporate values that embody a long-term commitment to the community on matters of occupational health and safety, and in environmental protection. Thus, Responsible Care requires continuous performance improvement. The ethics of Responsible Care are defined in the Guiding Principles signed by CEOs of companies committing to Responsible Care.
Responsible Care goes beyond what is legally required in most countries. It commits companies to improved environmental, health and safety performance through the implementation of the Six Codes of Management Practices recommended in the program. These Codes stretch and are practiced across all business activities, guided by a set of management systems.
Responsible Care is more than a set of principles and declarations. Through the sharing of information and a rigorous system of checklists, performance indicators and verification procedures, it enables the industry to demonstrate how it has improved over the years and how it has developed policies for further improvement. In these ways, Responsible Care helps the industry gain public trust to operate safely, profitably and with due care for future generations. The benefits can be improved productivity, better quality products, lower consumption of energy and water, less generation of waste, and reduced insurance premiums.
Responsible Care® in the Philippines
Responsible Care was introduced to the Philippines in 1994 by leading multinational companies with local manufacturing operations. It was soon adopted as a major program by the Samahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Industriyang Kimika (SPIK). SPIK, through the cooperation of the Chemical Manufacturers Association of the United States (CMA), introduced the program with a series of orientation seminars and workshops for local chemical companies.
In 1996, the SPIK Responsible Care Program received its charter from the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA). It was formally launched in March of the same year with 19 SPIK member companies participating. This led to the organization of the SPIK Responsible Care Council (SRCC) that is tasked to coordinate the efforts in the promotion of Responsible Care and to monitor the industry-wide implementation among signatories.
Although stunted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, growth of Responsible Care in the country regained momentum three years later. The program’s achievements and present status are described in the last three public reports prepared and published by the SPIK Responsible Care Council.
The Philippines’ Responsible Care Program is managed by the Samahan sa Pilipinas ng mga Industriyang Kimika (SPIK).