DuPont

DuPont de Nemours is a specialty chemicals company that has undergone major changes in recent years. In 2015, DuPont completed the spin-off of their performance chemicals division (including the production of many hazardous chemicals) into a new publicly traded company called Chemours. Later that same year, it was followed by a merger of DuPont and Dow Chemical and the subsequent spin-offs of DOW (materials science), Corteva (agriculture) and DuPont (specialty products). DuPont now operates in the business fields of Nutrition & Health, Industrial Biosciences, Safety & Protection and Electronics & Communications.

Total score

12 / 48

Grade summary

Chemical giant DuPont produces 32 SIN List substances (including four persistent chemicals), with nine of these officially recognised as chemicals of high concern by the EU. The company has a method in place to screen and assess the…

Product Portfolio

1 / 18

DuPont produces 32 SIN List substances, nine of which are included on the REACH Candidate List but none on the REACH Authorisation List. The company produces four persistent chemicals. Persistent chemicals are particularly problematic since they do not break down, but instead accumulate in humans and the environment. Because of this, persistent chemicals should be of extra concern for investors. Substances that are not considered a problem today could become huge liabilities in the future.

Development of Safer Chemicals

6 / 12

DuPont has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes the intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. The company does not follow the principles of green chemistry, nor does it exclude substances with toxic properties from new products. It does, however, make use of the GreenScreen assessment tool and actively markets safer alternatives on its website.

Management & Transparency

5 / 12

The company shares chemical safety information on its website but does not have a phase-out strategy for hazardous substances. DuPont de Nemours is a member of Responsible Care and follows voluntary standards such as a Code of Conduct and a Supplier Code of Conduct.