The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) represents the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Established in 2006, the association voices the common interests of more than 240 member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting for over 95% of chemical output in the Gulf region. The industry makes up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing up to USD 108 billion worth of products a year.

The association supports the region’s petrochemical and chemical industry through advocacy, networking and thought leadership initiatives that help member companies to connect, to share and advance knowledge, to contribute to international dialogue, and to become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global petrochemicals industry.

Committed to providing a regional platform for stakeholders from across the industry, the GPCA manages six working committees – Plastics, Supply Chain, Fertilizers, International Trade, Research and Innovation, and Responsible Care – and organizes six world-class events each year. The association also publishes an annual report, regular newsletters and reports.

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Responsible Care® is the chemical industry’s unique global initiative that drives continuous improvement in Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S) performance, together with open and transparent communication among stakeholders. Responsible Care® embraces the development and application of sustainable chemistry, which helps our industry to contribute to sustainable development while allowing us to meet the world’s growing need for essential chemical products.

In the Arabian Gulf region, GPCA ensures the implementation of Responsible Care® by its members, which includes fostering capacity building, sharing of EHS&S information and employing an increasingly rigorous system of Codes of Management Practices, performance indicators and verification procedures.

This dynamic initiative’s outreach spans a vast range of activities, from cooperative performance-based initiatives with government agencies, to local community projects such as the development of wildlife habitats in addition to tailored programs for students and teachers. Responsible Care® helps the chemical industry to report and track progress on critical elements of chemicals management.

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SQAS (Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability) is a system of uniform third party assessments to evaluate the performance of logistics service providers and Chemical Distributors. SQAS assessments cover quality, safety, security, environment and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). SQAS is not a certification system; it is an assessment system that provides a detailed factual assessment report. The SQAS assessment reports allow chemical companies to evaluate their logistics service providers according to their own standards and requirements.

SQAS is a key element of Responsible Care in logistics operations.

Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council, manages the SQAS system and ensures its integrity.