DuPont shared three announcements over the last week to reaffirm the company’s 2030 climate action and water stewardship commitments. With Climate Week NYC just behind us and COP26 set for early November, DuPont is joining other industry, governments and organizations accelerating a global shift.
On 23 September, the company announced it has signed its first Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC to develop new wind energy in Texas. The wind project will have a generation capacity of the equivalent of 135 megawatts and is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.
The agreement supports DuPont’s Acting on Climate goal of reducing absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent, including sourcing 60 percent of electricity from renewable energy, by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Leading energy advisor Schneider Electric supported DuPont in the selection of and negotiations for the project.
“Through this VPPA, together with our 2020 actions, we will soon be sourcing the equivalent of approximately 25 percent of our total electricity needs today from renewable sources,” said Miguel Gonzalez, Chief Procurement Officer at DuPont.
To further affirm DuPont’s commitment to renewable energy procurement, the company has joined RE100, a global environmental initiative led by the Climate Group which brings together companies committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity by mid-century. Through RE100, DuPont also commits to addressing market and policy barriers to sourcing renewables alongside member companies.
The VPPA and the decision to join RE100 signify steps forward in the company’s integrated climate and energy strategy, which has already seen significant progress:
- In the fourth quarter of 2019 DuPont converted utility supply at its largest manufacturing site to a low carbon source.
- In 2020 the company completed nearly 100 energy savings projects and reduced its location-based 2020 Scope 2 emissions – indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling – by 11 percent compared to 2019.
In addition to addressing climate and energy, DuPont announced last week it has joined the Water Resilience Coalition and signed the CEO Water Mandate as part of its goal to increase global access to clean water. Through these actions the company is strengthening its commitment to implement innovative, sustainable water strategies across its facilities, especially in high-risk watersheds.
“DuPont is proud to join a coalition of organizations that deeply understand the value of water resilience and the importance of industry taking collective action to improve our global water future,” said Ed Breen, DuPont Executive Chairman and CEO.
The CEO-led coalition aims to elevate global water stress to the top of the corporate agenda and preserve the world’s freshwater resources. On a broader scale, the CEO Water Mandate advances water stewardship practices in six core areas: direct operations, supply chain and watershed management, collective action, public policy, community engagement, and transparency.
Learn more about DuPont’s sustainability goals and progress here.
