Cooperation between the chemical industry (ICCA) and the chemical distribution industry (ICTA) has intensified since the MoU was signed between both organizations earlier this year.

Robert Stuyt has become an official member of the ICCA Responsible Care Leadership Group and the ICCA Sustainability Taskforce. By attending multi-day meetings of both committees, Robert Stuyt could repeatedly stress the importance for the global chemical industry to work with reliable distributors. Without his interference this value chain perspective would have been overlooked.

ICTA President Edgar Nordmann and Robert Stuyt also attended the ICCA Annual Congress in Amsterdam. At this conference they spoke with the CEOs of major chemical companies to explain the work, size and added value of our sector. They spoke with Mr. Li, chair of the CPCIF (pictured, in the middle), about possible ways to expand China’s involvement with ICTA and ways to simplify doing business there. In 2019, ICTA will remain committed to stressing the importance of our industry in the chemical supply chain to the chemical production industry.

This November the ICTA members gave together in Carlsbad (USA) for the second General Assembly of the year. The minutes of this meeting can be found on the ICTA extranet.

During the meeting Alexa Burr (ICCA) and Willem van Lanschot (ICTA) presented their organization’s views on sustainability (see below). Subsequently the members were informed of the ICTA progress of the past year.

The attending members concluded that much has been achieved, both regarding interest representation at the various UN institutions and regarding the professionalization of our association. For example, ICTA is closely involved with the drafting of the UN policy framework for chemicals management after 2020. One of the contentious points in these negotiations is the UN vision on chemicals. ICTA is resisting proposals to aim for a “toxic free environment”. Such a view on chemicals and risk management (i.e. looking only at hazard, not at exposure) could have far reaching consequences for our industry. ICTA also works to ensure that the role of chemical distributors is acknowledged in official UN reports, such as the Global Chemical outlook. Thanks to ICTA involvement, the UN General Assembly recognized the importance of cooperation with distributors on Improved Explosive Devices while also taking economic interests and efficiency into consideration.

As you may know, ICTA now has three committees. The new committees would benefit from the expertise of company representatives. If you are, or you know someone who is interested in joining one of the committees, please contact the secretariat, here. The three committees are:
-              Substance Safety Health Environment
-              Transport and Security
-              Responsible Care/ Responsible Distribution

After the General Assembly a cocktail reception, kindly sponsored by Cornelius, was held on a terrace overlooking the rolling hills of Southern California.