Sustainability strategy
Our Strategic Sustainability Framework
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3M’s corporate purpose expresses our ambition to leverage our passion for science to reimagine what’s possible — and it drives and informs our approach to sustainability. As we build on our global capabilities and diverse technologies, we have clear commitments and bold ambitions to shape a sustainable future within our Strategic Sustainability Framework and its three organizing pillars: Science for Circular, Science for Climate, and Science for Community. Within these pillars, we build partnerships, implement projects, and develop processes that move us forward in the areas where we can make the greatest impact.
Our sustainability goals and 2023 progress
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Our sustainability goals reflect our deepened commitment to going beyond compliance and thinking holistically about how our operations and products affect the world and every life in it.
Science for Circular
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100% achievedGoal: Require a Sustainability Value Commitment (SVC) for every new product1
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10.7% reductionGoal: Reduce manufacturing waste by an additional 10%, indexed to sales, by 2025
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45.9% of sitesGoal: Achieve zero landfill status at more than 30% of manufacturing sites by 2025
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19.1% reductionGoal: Reduce global water usage by the following amounts: 10% by 2022, 20% by 2025, and 25% by 2030, indexed to sales2
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Ahead of schedule in installing state-of-the-art filtration technologiesGoal: For 3M’s global manufacturing operations, help enhance the quality of water returned to the environment from industrial processes by 2030.3,4 Our initial focus is on implementing state-of-the-art water purification technology at the largest water use locations globally and having them fully operational by the end of 2024
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16 identified manufacturing sitesGoal: Engage 100% of water-stressed/scarce communities where 3M manufactures on communitywide approaches to water management by 2025
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69.8 million pounds reduced5Goal: Reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based plastic by 125 million pounds by the end of 20256
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285 supplier assessments completedGoal: Drive supply chain sustainability through targeted raw material traceability and supplier performance assurance by 2025
Science for Climate
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135 million metric tons avoidedGoal: Help our customers reduce their GHGs by 250 million tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions through the use of 3M products by 2025
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16.4% improvementGoal: Improve energy efficiency, indexed to net sales, by 30% by 2025
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43.2% reductionGoal: Reduce scope 1 and 2 market-based GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2030, 80% by 2040, and achieve carbon neutrality in our operations by 20507
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56.2% renewable electricityGoal: Increase renewable energy to 50% of total electricity use by 2025 and to 100% by 2050
Science for Community
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$39.4 million investedGoal: Invest $50 million to address racial opportunity gaps in the U.S. through workforce development and STEM education initiatives by the end of 20258
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2.28 million learning experiencesGoal: Advance economic equity by creating 5 million unique STEM and skilled trades learning experiences for underrepresented individuals by the end of the 2025-26 school year9
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100% maintainedGoal: Maintain or achieve 100% pay equity globally10
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8.44 million training instancesGoal: Provide training to 5 million people globally on worker and patient safety by 2025
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108,000 hoursGoal: Provide 300,000 work hours of skills-based volunteerism by 3M employees to improve lives and help solve society’s toughest challenges by the end of 202511
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$70.2 million investedGoal: Invest cash and products for education, community, and environmental programs by 2025
- For projects passing a “gate” in our new product commercialization process; an SVC describes how the product drives positive impact for our stakeholders in alignment with our Strategic Sustainability Framework.
- Expands our previous commitment, which aimed to reduce water use by 10% between 2015 and 2025. 2019 is the baseline measurement year.
- By improving the weighted average of priority constituents, including select metals, BOD, COD, cyanide compounds, fluoride, total nitrogen, oil & grease, PFAS, TDS, TSS, sulfate, and others.
- Water used by manufacturing or industrial processes, including all water use not defined as domestic (sanitary, cafeteria, etc.).
- During an internal audit, a conversion factor error was identified. The conversion from the unit the products were sold in to pounds was incorrect. Total virgin fossil-based plastic results for 2022 decreased by 16% as compared with the reported totals in the 2023 Global Impact Report published in March 2023. For this reason, values in the 2024 Global Impact Report will not be consistent with previous years' reports.
- Established in 2020.
- Expands our previous 2025 goal to stay below 50% of our 2002 baseline, meaning 3M’s 2030 scope 1 and 2 emissions will now be reduced by more than 85% from 2002 levels. 2019 is the baseline measurement year.
- 2020 is the baseline measurement year.
- 2021 is the baseline measurement year. 3M defines underrepresented individuals in the U.S. using National Science Foundation research. For global definitions, we rely on gender diversity and local context for marginalized populations.
- Established in 2020 to drive trend and trajectory progress over time.
- Goal was initiated in 2019. Skills-based volunteering is primarily delivered through the 3M Impact program.
Learn more in our full reports
