Grade summary

Chemical giant DuPont gets zero points and is the first company to ever score an F on the ChemScore ranking. This is due to the fact that the company has claimed confidential business information (CBI) for almost all substances that it produces in the United States. The company says it is compliant with the legal reporting requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and that the reporting rules allow for substantiated claims of confidentiality in order to protect market competitiveness. This market behaviour is not seen by any other company on ChemScore. It is the complete opposite of what we want to achieve — which is more chemical transparency. For this reason, DuPont forfeits all points it would otherwise have received. On the EU market, we were able to identify 28 hazardous substances — including three persistent chemicals — in the company’s product portfolio. DuPont has been involved in numerous controversies during the last ten years, most notably several litigations linked to PFAS pollution.

How did we come to this score?

Opportunities for improvement

1. Increase transparency
   DuPont has claimed confidential business information (CBI) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for almost all substances that the company produces in the United States. The 2016 Consumer Data Right (CDR) registry showed 164 unique notified substances for DuPont. Since then, the company has gone through a bunch of splits and mergers and some of the hazardous chemical production could have moved to other entities. Nevertheless, we do not believe that DuPont has stopped the production of all but one of these substances as most of them are still sold on the European market. In order to be more transparent, DuPont should disclose the full list of hazardous chemicals that it produces, including the volume of each of these chemicals as well as its percentage of the total revenue. It would also be wise to specify which chemicals are intended for end products and for intermediate use. Generally speaking, information about chemicals sold in EU and US markets is available through public records, which is not the case in other parts of the world. For that reason, DuPont should make the details of its revenue generated outside of these regions public to ensure chemical transparency and allow for a comprehensive global evaluation.
2. Map and phase out persistent chemicals
   DuPont produces or uses three persistent chemicals, that we know of. These substances are also known as “forever chemicals” due to the fact that they do not break down in nature. Instead, these chemicals — which are linked to many negative health effects — build up over time. The consequences of these substances are becoming increasingly detrimental, not only for human health and the environment but also for investors. Investors risk stranded assets now that the regulatory speed is accelerating, and are also exposed to significant liability risks since more chemical companies are being sued for contamination. DuPont should therefore make sure to identify all uses, and publish volumes and percentage of total revenue of its persistent substances. The company should also publish a time-bound phase-out plan for each persistent chemical and an annual progression report to go with it.
3. Reduce hazardous portfolio
   Scientists agree that chemical pollution has crossed a planetary boundary and become an urgent global problem. This threatens the stability of global ecosystems upon which humanity depends, by damaging the biological and physical processes that underpin all life. Since DuPont has 28 hazardous chemicals in its European product portfolio, a paramount improvement point for the company is to reduce this number. DuPont should therefore make sure to identify all uses, and publish volumes and percentage of total revenue of its hazardous substances. It should also publish a reduction road map of each hazardous chemical and an annual progression report. If the company continues to produce any hazardous substances, it needs to present a rationale for its essential use, motivate the production volume, and state how much money it spends on research and development to find a safer alternative.

Category breakdown