DuPont's Choice: Business Interests, Public Pressure and the Ozone Crisis

After nearly two decades of tergiversation, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company announced in March 1988 that the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) would be phased out. This historical decision accelerated industry transformation and eventually contributed to the healing of the ozone layer, documented 30 years later. In this case, science created the problem, innovation created the alternative, and public–private engagement created the solution: the Montreal Protocol. Why did DuPont not use these three levers in the early 1970s, when the CFC damage to the ozone layer was uncovered? Has DuPont’s strategy turned into a sustainable model to replicate? Should DuPont have acted differently?

-The role of science: Strategic management of scientific uncertainty and knowledge as a force for good.
-The role of innovation: Regulation as a competitive advantage and industry leadership vs. transitional leadership.
-Public–private engagement: Political strategy as a market strategy, coalition design as strategy, and enlightened self-interest as a driver of change.