Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has signed a MoU with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to establish a Responsible Care program for the region’s petrochemical and chemical industry.

The MoU marks a major step forward in implementing GPCA’s ambitious plans to ensure that the regional industry adopts uniform world-class environment, health and safety (EHS) practices.

The Responsible Care ethic is the petrochemicals industry’s foundation for a sustainable future. Launched in Canada more than 20 years ago, it covers all aspects of chemical industry activity: process safety, pollution prevention, distribution safety, product stewardship, security, community awareness and emergency response.

It is the global chemical industry’s signature initiative to enhance EHS performance within chemical facilities and along their supply chains.

Participating national or regional trade associations agree to conform to the Responsible Care Global Charter and the Responsible Care Fun-damental Features instituted by the International Council of Chemical Association (ICCA).

GPCA chairman and vice chairman & Sabic CEO Mohamed H. Al-Mady, GPCA secretary general Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, ACC director and and ExxonMobil Chemical Company president Stephen D. Pryor and ACC president and CEO Cal Dooley signed the agreement on the concluding day of the Fourth Annual GPCA Forum on Thursday in Dubai.

With the signing of the MoU, GPCA is aiming to develop its Responsible Care Program over the next year to obtain ICCA recognition in 2010, said a senior official.

'GPCA’s members, many of whom have already adopted the global industry’s best practices, are fully supportive of Responsible Care.  The Association now has a dedicated Responsible Care Committee that will help implement the MOU and work closely with ACC and GPCA member companies,' he added.

For more than 20 years, ACC members and Responsible Care partners have implemented the program in their organizations. Responsible Care has resulted in improved performance, safer handling of products in the supply chain and recognition of the industry’s efforts by governments, NGOs and the public.

As part of its commitment to spreading the ethic of Responsible Care, ACC regularly engages in reaching out to diverse organizations to assist them in the devel-opment and implementation of performance improvement programs.

In a joint statement at the signing, Dr Al-Sadoun and Cal Dooley said: 'The MoU we signed today represents a promise by our organisations and their members to our employees, communities, supply chains that will help ensure the products of chemistry can continue to improve the quality of life in the Gulf region and worldwide.'

'As organizations, we are committing to build a Responsible Care program that will expand our commitment to sound chemicals management, product stewardship and safety to the companies, employees and communities represented by the GPCA members and their supply chains,' the duo added.

'ACC promises to assist GPCA by providing staff support, institutional assistance, training and work-shops for company and association personnel.  In particular, ACC will assist GPCA in developing over-all program management and administration capacity, documentation and procedures, member and stakeholder communications, and outreach activity.'

'ACC members look forward to learning more about this important region and how efforts here can be applied in the US and the other 53 economies that are today part of the Responsible Care family,' they added-TradeArabia News Service