Responsible Care

In the late 1970s the chemical industry recognised that it had not done enough in the post-war period to improve its environmental performance. Since the mid-1980s, however, major changes and improvements have been made under the RC initiative. RC has brought about a cultural change within the industry, improving environmental performance and leading to a new openness in relations with the public. It recognises the concerns of all stakeholders.

The RC programme is monitored in each country by the nation's primary chemical trade association, representing both domestic and multinational chemical producers. The association is responsible for adapting the programme to the economic, cultural, social and legal environment of the country, while companies pursue implementation within their own culture and organisation.

The development and integrity of RC are guided at the global level by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and its RC Leadership Group (RCLG). This group has identified eight fundamental features of RC which must be included in each national association's initiative and which are designed to ensure global consistency of the initiative for the chemical industry and its stakeholders.

1. Guiding principles - initiation, development and implementation of RC in associations and member companies.
2. Name, logo – adoption of a title and logo, which clearly identify national programs as being consistent with and part of the concept of RC.
3. Codes, guide – a series of codes, guidance notes or checklists to assist companies to implement the commitment of RC to achieve continuous health, safety and environmental improvements.
4. Indicators – progressive development of indicators against which improvements and performance can be measured.
5. Communication – on-going association and member company process of communication on health, safety and environmental matters with interested parties inside and outside the membership.
6. Sharing – provision of forums in which company, CEO and RC coordinators can share views and exchange experiences on implementation of the commitment.
7. Encouragement – consideration of how best to encourage all association member companies to commit and participate in RC.
8. Verification – systematic procedures to verify implementation of the measurable (or practical) elements of RC in member companies.

(Source: International Council of Chemical Associations ICCA, 2007)

The primary objectives of the Roche RC Network are summarised in the Network Charter.

The RC Network exists to assist in the continuous improvement of SHE performance within Roche by:

• Establishing a common framework for implementing and communicating Roche's commitment to RC that can be adapted to meet local needs.
• Sharing best practices to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SHE systems.
• Providing a forum for sites to request and receive mutual assistance on specific RC activities.
• Learning from innovative activities, new initiatives and incidents that occur within the Roche Group.
• Establishing measurement systems to assess the effectiveness of RC.
• Communicating our SHE performance to employees, local communities and other stakeholders.

Promoting integration of the principles of RC into all aspects of Roche's business processes.