1.2) By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
DuPont is working to improve the livelihoods of at least three million farmers and their rural communities by the end of 2020. Through 2013, DuPont directly touched more than 347,000 farmers to help improve their success and strengthen agricultural systems. An example is a partnership with the Government of Ethiopia and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve maize productivity and raise income through agronomic training, improved inputs, and greater access to credit, markets and grain storage. This is in addition to the ongoing work already being done by DuPont to enhance the lives of hundreds of millions of farmers.
2.a) Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries
By the end of 2020, DuPont will have facilitated two million youth engagements around the world, transferring knowledge of sustainable food and agriculture and its impact on a growing population. Through 2013, DuPont worked with 1.2 million youth, from a collaboration with 4-H in Africa to educate and encourage future farmers to promoting safe farming practices through interactive programs and computer donations for Brazilian third and fourth graders.
2.1) By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
In 2012, DuPont set sizeable goals to help end world hunger and ensure food security that are achievable by the end of 2020. DuPont has committed $10 billion to R&D, and the introduction of 4,000 new products by the end of 2020. Through 2013, DuPont invested more than $2.49 billion in R&D and introduced more than 1,700 new products. The work centers on developing innovations that will produce more food, enhance nutritional value, improve agriculture sustainability, boost food safety, extend food freshness and reduce waste.
7.2) By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
DuPont is commercializing cellulosic ethanol, the lowest carbon emitting and most sustainable transportation fuel in the world. Since 2009 we have operated a demonstration facility in eastern Tennessee producing cellulosic ethanol from corn stover, switchgrass and sugar cane bagasse. This experience combined with DuPont’s extensive work with farmers enabled the construction of a 30-million gallon per year facility located in central Iowa that is scheduled to begin producing cellulosic ethanol from corn stover in the coming months. The business objective is to license a comprehensive technology package that includes the cellulosic ethanol engineering design & technology, access to plant specific vendors and proprietary equipment, technical support during construction and operations, enzyme biocatalyst supply and feedstock supply consulting. This technology package will create access to deploying cellulosic ethanol for investors around the world.
Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth – bringing innovations to market that harness that power is essential. DuPont is the leading supplier of specialty materials to the solar industry. More than half the world’s 700 million solar panels have DuPont materials in them, and DuPont materials have been time-tested in more than 11 trillion panel-hours of outdoor solar field installations globally since 1975. Materials matter because they help determine how well and for how long a solar panel works. Materials that improve the power output and the reliable lifetime of solar panels, improve the return on investment in solar energy systems - making solar more affordable and more competitive with other forms of electricity.
9.4) By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
DuPont is dedicated to resource-use efficiency and environmental stewardship through its Clean Technologies portfolio of offerings, part of DuPont Sustainable Solutions. The following are two examples out of many solutions that are currently available in the marketplace from the DuPont Clean Technologies portfolio.
DuPont provides MECS® sulfuric acid plants around the globe an opportunity for significant energy recovery using the MECS® HRS™ technology for heat recovery of waste heat produced in the sulfuric acid production process. The HRS™ technology recovers energy from these waste streams by generating steam which is then converted into electricity, either for use by the customer or for external sale. The HRS™ component of the DuPont sulfuric acid offering provides triple the amount of recoverable energy in comparison to traditional systems.
Air pollution is another area of expertise within the DuPont Clean Technologies portfolio. From fertilizer to refining, marine to mining, and beyond, DuPont offers world-class technologies for air pollution reduction. One such technology is the IsoTherming® hydroprocessing technology which indirectly improves air quality by removing sulfur from transportation fuels and directly improves air quality by minimizing use of natural resources within the process itself. Utilizing less equipment and less energy than traditional hydroprocessing technologies, IsoTherming® technology can reduce fuel gas consumption by up to 60% and power consumption by up to 40%, while increasing energy recovery by up to 50%.
9.5) Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
Each year DuPont awards unrestricted funding to promising new university faculty. The 2015 class of DuPont Young Professors is an international and interdisciplinary group. The group received over $400,000 in grant funding over two years to support research that advances basic science knowledge to address global challenges in food, energy and protection. The overarching goal of this program is to help promising young and untenured research faculty begin their research careers. The DuPont Young Professor program dates to 1918, when Pierre S. du Pont selected 42 universities in the United States and provided grants that supported young faculty. Since 1968, this program has provided over $50 million in grants to more than 700 young professors in 140 institutions in 19 countries.
In addition, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DuPont is working around the clock to deliver solutions that help with prevention and control of the global pandemic, while keeping employees safe. To meet the need for critical protection and supplies in the fight against COVID-19, DuPont is increasing capacity of Tyvek® protective fabric and working with their partners to get it to the front lines quickly.
12.3) By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels, and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
DuPont is innovating along the food value chain to reduce global food waste. For example: DuPont Industrial Biosciences has developed a range of DuPont™ Danisco® enzymes that help reduce food waste from baked goods. Approximately 30 percent of bakery products go uneaten, often because they are considered to have gone bad or stale. DuPont’s enzymes can extend product freshness. The longer an item stays on the shelf, the more likely it is to be eaten, the more efficiently we are consuming the food intended for our tables. Working with Cargloux, DuPont developed DuPont™ Tyvek® Air Cargo covers to help protect perishables and reduce food waste during transit, keeping goods up to 15.4 degrees cooler in a hot environment. DuPont and Cargolux have combined their knowledge and expertise to reduce one of the key causes of food waste, ensuring that fresh food products are now available to emerging markets in Africa, opening new horizons and creating new opportunities.