Chemicals and corporate social responsibility: Is there a fit?

In this paper, the author develops an argument for the adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility by Canadian Chemical industry firms. The majority of Canadian firms in the chemical industry are members of the Canadian Chemical Producer\u27s Association and a requirement of that membership is the adoption of Responsible Care. Responsible Care is a riskbased initiative that applies to all facets of the chemical business throughout product lifecycles. This paper provides a comparison of Responsible Care and Corporate Social Responsibility as well as a business case for adopting any voluntary initiatives including Responsible Care and Corporate Social Responsibility. A case study of one chemical firm that has adopted both initiatives is included. This paper concludes with observations and recommendations for firms who are contemplating the implementation of a social initiative such as Responsible Care or Corporate Social Responsibility