Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Ontario (Feb. 10, 2025) - The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) today renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance cross‑border collaboration and strengthen alignment of Responsible Care® certification across the chemical industry.
As the global chemical industry’s signature environmental, health, safety, and security initiative, Responsible Care has long served as a foundation for driving improved performance and building trust with communities, regulators, and value chain partners. Under the new MOU, CIAC will adopt the ACC Responsible Care Management System® (RCMS®)/RC14001® certification model as the exclusive pathway for CIAC member companies to meet their Responsible Care certification requirements.
This announcement deepens the longstanding partnership between ACC and CIAC by supporting shared infrastructure, expanding auditor capacity, and enhancing harmonization of Responsible Care implementation across both countries. Both organizations will work closely to provide training, implementation support, certification documentation, and coordinate outreach to member companies and auditing bodies. This alignment will also streamline and optimize processes for multinational companies operating in both Canada and the United States. By unifying certification under the RCMS®/RC14001® model, companies will benefit from a more consistent Responsible Care® framework, reducing duplicative audits, simplifying internal management systems, and ensuring clearer expectations across borders.
Chris Jahn, President & CEO of the American Chemistry Council noted, “Today’s agreement reflects our organizations’ continued, shared commitment to strengthening Responsible Care. By aligning around the RCMS® and RC14001® certification models, ACC and CIAC are reinforcing the consistent, rigorous expectations our industry embraces and demonstrating that continuous improvement, transparency, and safety leadership are the cornerstones of how we operate. Together, we’re building a safer, more competitive, and more resilient chemical industry.”
Greg Moffatt, President & CEO of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, shared, “This MOU underscores the strong collaboration between Canada and the United States in advancing responsible, sustainable chemical manufacturing. CIAC pioneered Responsible Care more than four decades ago and our members remain deeply committed to the program’s principles of transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement. We’re proud to deepen our partnership with ACC as we work together to advance Responsible Care and support the safe, sustainable growth of our sector.”
