Bridge Builders Award
For his devotion to and success in framing sustainable growth as a business imperative throughout his tenure at DuPont
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ugh the case for sustainable business practices has been made many times over and disputed by few, environmentally-friendly policies have largely taken a back seat to profit margins and stock values in the corporate world. For one business leader, however, going green is not simply an ethical agenda, but is the foundation for continued success and prosperity. Throughout his career, Charles O. Holliday has worked relentlessly to bring sustainable growth front and center as a business imperative. Nearly 30 years after joining DuPont as an engineer, Holliday took the reins as chief executive officer in 1998. Holliday wasted no time in establishing his priorities as CEO and less than two years after his appointment, declared achieving sustainable growth as the company’s mission and set a number of ambitious footprint reduction targets. In 2004, Holliday also announced a new vision for DuPont entitled “Sustainable Solutions,” an initiative that helps organizations meet their business objectives while reducing their impact on the environment through innovative products and consultation.
Holliday continued to lead DuPont in this very direction with the introduction of additional footprint and energy reduction targets throughout his tenure as CEO. Between 1990 and 2003, DuPont reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 72 percent, and an additional 21 percent since 2004. Water consumption has been reduced by 15 percent and carcinogen emissions by 57 percent since 2004. Today, 6.5 percent of the company’s energy comes from renewable sources. As a leading business mind, Holliday did not consider environmental consciousness a tradeoff for profitability. By 2009, revenues from products that increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases grew to $731 million. Income from products made from renewable resources reached $7.4 billion.
Holliday’s environmental leadership in the business world reaches far beyond the walls of DuPont. Serving as chair for the S.E.E. Change Initiative, Holliday assisted the Business Roundtable in developing the initiative, one that encourages member companies to lead by example and adopt business strategies that measurably improve society, the environment and the economy. Holliday also chaired a working group of the United Nations charged with developing an environmental stewardship strategy for corporate leaders, which was formally launched in July 2010. Holliday is a founder of the United States Climate Action Partnership and author of the book Walking the Talk, which lays out the business case for sustainable growth.
Charles O. Holliday has contributed immeasurably to building the bridge between business success and environmental sustainability. As Holliday explained to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, “addressing climate change may be the single greatest opportunity to reinvent industry while putting the United States on a more sustainable path forward.”