By collaborating with nonprofits and community groups, DuPont is advancing initiatives in facilities, communities, in the U.S. and around the world, to protect the environment and address sustainability challenges.
DuPont’s Clear into the Future® (CITF) global competitive grant program is an example of how the chemical industry is driving positive impact in its communities and for the environment. The CITF grant program provides funding for projects in communities where DuPont operates, providing grants annually to nonprofits and educational institutions.
The program, which launched in 2007, is aimed at protecting and improving the natural environment through community engagement and education. It’s an employee-driven initiative that provides funding for projects in communities served by DuPont that are aligned with CITF’s mission to drive positive impact by protecting the environment and empowering communities to thrive.
In 2023, the company awarded grants for 19 projects in seven countries. DuPont reports the program had a total of 1,855 volunteers, educated and served 227,575 people, reduced 1558 tons of CO2 equivalents, and collected 94,061 pounds of waste in 2023.
All CITF projects are aligned with one or more key priority areas, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, water stewardship, circular economy, and biodiversity. Some examples of the types of projects that CITF funds in each area include:
- Contribution to climate change adaptation: Using natural resources and modifying current infrastructure to actively prepare for effects of climate change. For example, grants to invigorate wetlands or prepare areas along lakes and rivers for flood control.
- Mitigating the effects of climate change: Reducing or preventing greenhouse gas emissions and removing GHGs from the atmosphere. For example, grants to implement nature-based solutions such as tree planting, improving soil health, and protecting native grasslands, and reducing and remediating harmful algal blooms in local reservoirs.
- Promotion of Water Stewardship: Working to ensure water is managed sustainably and enhancing water quality and quantity. For example, grants to purchase rain barrels for rainwater collection and promote litter or debris removal from bodies of water.
- Advancement of circular economy: Optimizing use and reuse of resources to ultimately reduce waste generation and pollution. For example, grant funding to develop initiatives to support recycling programs and supply infrastructure for a community compost program.
- Protection of biodiversity: Supporting holistic ecological approaches and enhancing ecosystem health in their communities. supporting reforestation of native plants, environmental protection for endangered species, and removing invasive, non-native plants.
DuPont's CITF program demonstrates that the combined power of industry, communities, and academia can help tackle sustainability challenges and protect our environment.
