Statement

ACC Announces Recipients of Distinguished Leadership Awards

ARLINGTON, VA (June 11, 2009) – The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today presented its annual Distinguished Leadership Awards before an audience of the industry’s top executives at ACC’s annual meeting in Colorado Springs, CO.  This award was established to recognize and thank executives and others in member companies who have provided outstanding leadership and achievements on behalf of ACC and the industry.  The recipients of this award are Dr. Martin Kayser, Senior Vice President of Product Safety for the BASF Corporation and Dr. Greg Bond, Corporate Director of Product Responsibility for The Dow Chemical Company.

As Co-Chairs of the International Council of Chemical Association’s (ICCA) Chemicals Policy and Health Leadership Group, both Martin Kayser and Greg Bond are being recognized for their efforts in international product stewardship. The Chemicals Policy and Health Leadership Group works to improve the product safety performance of the global chemical industry, through increased transparency of chemical safety information and strengthened science and risk-based chemicals management legislation and regulation throughout the world. This work occurs under the ICCA’s Global Product Strategy. 

Under their leadership, the Group has developed a comprehensive plan for the stewardship of chemical products worldwide, which is closely integrated with the Responsible Care® initiative.  As a result of these efforts, ACC, working through the Global Product Strategy (GPS) and the Responsible Care initiative created a new website that details Product Stewardship Summaries for more than one thousand chemicals in commerce. These Product Stewardship Summaries are essential in providing business partners and consumers with user-friendly guides that detail safe handling and management of chemical products. This work was highlighted at the recent UN International Conference on Chemicals Management. 

ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley stated, “As a global industry, our reputation hinges on our commitment to working with stakeholders to enhance the performance of companies worldwide. Both Martin and Greg are to be commended for their efforts to establish uniform standards that promote consistent chemicals management practices through the value chain.”

Responsible Care is the chemical industry’s global voluntary initiative under which companies, through their national associations, work to continuously improve their health, safety and environmental performance, and to communicate with stakeholders about their products and processes. The GPS was developed to expand and coordinate the global industry’s commitment to providing product stewardship and to managing the safe use of chemicals throughout their lifecycle. The Global Product Strategy is implemented through the Responsible Care initiative, to increase public and stakeholder awareness and confidence that chemicals in commerce are appropriately managed throughout their lifecycle.