A Letter From Edward Breen

2020 was a year of unforeseen, unparalleled challenges, yet at the same time we made meaningful progress toward creating a stronger, healthier future. We faced a global pandemic, a growing climate change crisis, and a collective outcry against racial and social injustice. Guided by an unwavering commitment to our Core Values, our teams remained focused on the safety and well-being of our colleagues, delivering for our customers, supporting our communities, and strengthening the financial health of the company. I’m proud of the results we delivered and how we applied our talent and expertise to fulfill our purpose—to empower the world with the essential innovations to thrive.  I’m equally inspired by the caring and welcoming spirit of our employees and how they continue to foster a culture of respect for the Earth and each other.

We entered 2021 as a premier multi-industrial company well-positioned for growth. With the merger of DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences business with IFF and our pending acquisition of Laird Performance Materials, we’ve sharpened our portfolio to deliver sustainable innovations that address global needs for clean water, advanced mobility, personal protection, shelter, healthcare and connectivity. The power of science to help solve some of the most complex challenges was evident from the earliest days of COVID-19 and underscores that innovation is the most substantive contribution DuPont can make toward a better world. It’s why we’ve placed sustainability at the center of how we grow and operate our businesses. DuPont’s 2030 Sustainability Goals, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, are ambitious, holistic, integrated and value-creating. 

2020 further brought to light inequities that persist across our society.  Systemic racism in the US, an inconsistent response to the pandemic and its impact, as well as unequal consequences of climate change highlight that the opportunities to thrive are not equal, and vulnerable communities are being left behind.  That’s why as a founding member of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism, I’m personally committed to fostering a global economy that works for everyone. And as a signatory to the UN Global Compact, DuPont continues to advance ethical business practices across our value chains. As racial injustice took center stage last year, we established a Racism & Equity Response Framework to ensure that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) is further embedded into our enterprise-wide strategy to meet the needs of our global communities.  At DuPont, we have always been agents of change; our people and innovations have transformed the industries we serve.  Today, we have the opportunity and imperative to drive change that brings about true racial equity and justice.

As we look ahead, I’m optimistic about the continued progress we’ll achieve as we work side-by-side with our customers, communities and shareholders. While we have a great deal of work ahead of us to create shared value and drive toward our 2030 goals, we have a strong action plan for 2021 which we’ve linked to our compensation framework, and together we’ll accelerate our journey.

I invite you to read on to learn more about our work, our people, our results and the detailed stories captured in this report.