A leading initiative by France Chimie.
France Chimie offers personalised support for the Cefic Responsible Care® self-assessment through a consulting service. This service also provides the opportunity to obtain a “Confirmed Diagnosis” certificate issued by France Chimie after an external third-party review of the approach.
The primary objective is to enhance stakeholders’ trust in the Responsible Care approach and assist companies in developing a comprehensive Responsible Care improvement action plan. France Chimie’s support is available to companies of all sizes, with a particular emphasis on SMEs. Financial support for the consultancy service is also available through a national training financing organisation.
The core principle of this approach is individualised support provided by France Chimie on an ongoing basis. Two experienced consultants, well-versed in CSR and Responsible Care within the chemical industry, have been designated by France Chimie to assist companies.
The duration of basic support varies based on the company’s maturity level and ISO certifications, typically spanning between 1 to 2 days (plus one day remotely for preparation, questions, and report writing by the consultant). The consultant’s role is to help the company assess the score for each question on the self-assessment tool and guide the company in crafting a practical and relevant sustainability improvement action plan to be implemented over the next three years. More extensive support options are available, depending on the number of sites and the company’s CSR objectives.
At the end of the year, a voluntary group day will be offered to explore valuable tools such as stakeholder analysis or materiality assessment.
Following the completion of the self-assessment with consultant support, an independent third-party committee reviews each company’s overall approach. This committee issues a certificate affirming that the assessment aligns with Cefic’s Responsible Care framework and attests to the robustness of the company’s Responsible Care approach. The third-party committee comprises of the two consultants, one or two France Chimie representatives, other participating companies, and a member of France Chimie’s Responsible Care committee.
The overarching goal is to enhance the recognition of Responsible Care among stakeholders in the value chain and financial partners.
France Chimie’s ultimate aim is for Responsible Care to serve as a symbol of CSR commitment for companies in the chemical industry and to gain recognition from various stakeholders, including NGOs and the finance sector.
To date, ten companies in France, all of which are SMEs, have benefitted from this individualised support
Testimonials
Marc Dulac, CEO, Steverlynck.: “Thanks to our Responsible Care support, we were able to develop a feasible and relevant action plan.”
Alexander Gibbs, CEO, SNCZ : “This approach allowed us to involve the entire company, using the Responsible Care® self-assessment questionnaire to assess the maturity of the Integrated Management System (IMS) and identify gaps.”
Antoine Anglade, site manager, ACIA Automotive : “This support adds more value to our approach than a simple rating.” –
In 2022, France Chimie conducted a pilot phase involving six SMEs in France, and their feedback has been compiled.
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