CAIA launches 2015 Responsible Care performance report

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The report covered the chemical industry's progress in meeting the Responsible Care initiative principles, its safety and health statistics for on and off-road activities, assessed the industry's resource efficiency in terms of energy, water, waste and greenhouse gas emissions performance related to product stewardship and its community outreach progress. It also detailed the considerable training offered by CAIA during the year under review and its attendance at international fora.

"With the adoption of the ambitious sustainable development goals during September 2015, affordable and clean energy has become critical to the multinational process of working towards a more sustainable future," said Deidré Penfold, executive director of CAIA.

"The importance of energy to sustainable development objectives can also be indirectly noted in other sustainable development goals such as those relating to economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and climate action."

Proactive response

"The Responsible Care initiative is ideally placed as a proactive response by the chemical industry to the challenges of sustainability through the implementation of initiatives that contribute to continuous improvement in safety, health, environmental and reporting objectives. The slogan of the global voluntary Responsible Care initiative, 'Our Commitment to Sustainability', provides a very clear message.

"Energy will continue to play a leading role in sustainability objectives - especially in terms of greenhouse gas emissions - and the need for innovation and rational national energy policy cannot be underestimated as keys to a sustainable future.

"The consumption of energy, primarily electricity, has become and continues to be more efficient amongst Responsible Care signatories that trade in products - a very encouraging trend that the South African chemical industry can be proud of," Penfold said.

At 30 September 2015, CAIA had 157 Responsible Care signatories that are committed to the implementation of this initiative within their companies.

Role of water

The chairman of the Responsible Care standing committee, Johan Schoonraad, said water plays an integral role in the activities of the chemical industry and can be considered a raw material in many cases. "Members of CAIA are expected to improve their performance continuously in terms of water use and effluent discharge, which often includes efforts to increase production efficiencies and effluent recycling. I am pleased to report that water efficiency is improving from year to year.

"This aggregate report of performance of signatories to the Responsible Care initiative is a valuable tool to identify where challenges are presenting themselves and potentially even how they may be addressed. Through further analysis, CAIA will be determining where members require support and how the transfer of knowledge and experiences can lead to the sharing of how successes have been achieved in areas of safety, health and environmental performance. The reporting of annual performance remains imperative for CAIA to be able to add value to its members and the South African chemical industry at large," Schoonraad said.

"CAIA trusts the 2015 Responsible Care performance report will not only demonstrate the commitment of the South African chemical industry to sustainability but will also provide motivation to continue on the path of investing in a sustainable future," concluded Penfold.