sustainable development as good business engineers’ international roundtable washington, dc john...

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

AS GOOD BUSINESS

Engineers’ International RoundtableWashington, DC

John CarberryDuPont

Wilmington, DESeptember 13, 2002

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?"..development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”*

(*) World Commission on the Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission)

Let us look at some present concepts based on our customers’ issues and our own major opportunities.

While this is nice, it is difficult to use today to make business decisions about products or facility decisions about “footprint”.

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

SUSTAINABILITY

The most profitable practice is to focus on your customers’ sustainability needs based on your understanding of the issues.

• Improve the environmental quality of your customers’ products

• Solve (preferably prevent) your customers' environmental problems

• Take on their environmental tasks

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITIESProvide the same function with less weight.

- Sylfonylureas having greatly reduced use rates (and very low mammalian toxicity).

- Performance polymers - Nylon composites, Kevlar®, XTC® (PET/C) composites

Eliminate customer disposal or emission issues.- Agricultural products in water soluble packages- Rapidly biodegradable hydraulic fluids and oils- Producer dyed fibers

Manufacture intermediates requiring high security (e.g. methylisocyanate) with "zero" emissions and no transportation.

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITIESDevelop customer integration, including recycle.

- DuCare® developing solvent (and supplier reprocessing if needed) with no TRI chemicals

Manufacturers' recycle- Tyvek® from Post Consumer high density

polyethylene (milk jugs)- ROTIM® packaging bag for Neoprene® pellets

Intermediates from renewable resources.- Propanediol for 3-GT from biomass- Learn to grow oligomers

Provide centralized waste management for customers using capacity resulting from your waste minimization.

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

Provide products for energy efficiency.• Performance plastics that reduce weight and

material consumption• House wraps and other insulation. Frequently

return 10-20X their energy cost.• Fuel cell materials and devices• Photovoltaic materials and devices• Products for biomass production and products

made from biomass

While meeting our customers’ demand for renewable, clean and efficient energy in our products.

CUSTOMER OPPORTUNITIES(With an Energy Focus)

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

SUSTAINABILITYFocussing on some internal issues

Regional or Local Environmental Burden issues (VOCs, BOD) are critical but generally covered by existing regulations. Leave to local and regional regulation.

Many broader societal issues (e.g. species preservation) represent societal choice and are difficult to relate to a manufacturing operation. Business opportunities, unique to specific customers will continue to emerge.

For the present, internally we will focus on resource demands and world-wide burdens. (Recognizing this to be “eco-efficiency”, not true “sustainability”.)

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

SUSTAINABILITY:Continually reduce your own footprint

(Based on the AIChE/CWRT focus issues)

Resource Demand Energy, Material, Water and Land

Critical World-wide Environmental Burden• Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBTs)• Priority Heavy Metals• Green House Gases (GHG)• Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)

While continually reducing your local environmental burden. (Acid gasses, VOC’s, BOD/COD, etc.)

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

SUSTAINABILITYFrom an international view, what does the host “developing” country usually want?

BROADLY•Quality employment•Capital infusion•Access to export markets & “hard” currencies•Modern technology

COMPANY SPECIFIC•Safety training•Environmental training

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

SUSTAINABILITYFrom an international view, what do the “undeveloped” countries usually need?

THE BASICS•Water•Food•Shelter•Security

While these may be our most important long term “sustainability” goals, the solutions presently seem far more political and economic than technology based.

J.B.Carberry/DuPont

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY

It will not be sufficient for developed nations to concentrate on footprint reduction and for developing nations to concentrate on both economic gains and footprint reduction.

Providing for the basic needs of the undeveloped nations while all nations evolve to a society that makes better lifestyle choices will be our greatest challenge. Technology will (probably) be only a modest part of that solution.

Thank you for your time !!!

J.B.Carberry/DuPont