The Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA) launched its 2016 Responsible Care® Performance Report at an event that was combined with the Association’s Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony for achievers. The annual launch of the report is the Association’s opportunity to engage with stakeholders on safety, health and environmental metrics of signatories’ activities for the preceding calendar year, and to promote the principles of the voluntary Responsible Care® initiative of the global chemical industry. The report also provides information on the activities of the Association for the preceding twelve months.
During the presentation of the annual report, Deidré Penfold, Executive Director of CAIA, highlighted the achievements and challenges of the chemical sector represented by CAIA along its value chain.
This year, the association was able to show that although there is a strong reliance on solid fuel as an energy source, energy efficiency is still improving both in terms of electricity consumption and overall energy consumption, Penfold said.
“Data over the next few years will show if gains are being made in terms of the efficiency of the use of solid fuel,” she said.
The report, themed around the Sustainable Development Goals that were agreed to at the United Nations last year, talks to the vision of Responsible Care® that is centred around sustainability through its slogan “Our Commitment To Sustainability”; envisaging a profitable, sustainable chemical sector in South Africa that contributes to the quality of human life and the economy through innovation and production – without harm to people, property or the environment.
Responsible Care® aims to ensure that South Africa’s chemical sector is recognised by all stakeholders as a responsible industry that plays an important role in providing a wide range of benefits to society while remaining open, honest, accountable and credible in all its dealings.
The recordable injury incident rate, the generation of solid waste per tonne of production, as well as the proportion of signatories that subscribe to waste management plans showed improvement when 2015 activities were compared to those of 2014. “CAIA describes a potential link between road transportation-related incidents, the behaviour of third-parties, and fatalities; although the latter was reported to be the lowest in several years,” Penfold said.
