2018 was a big year for Sustainability at 3M. The company’s 2019 Sustainability Report details 3M’s progress and commitments toward improving every life and addressing global challenges.

Sustainability is a core value and a responsibility 3M takes seriously—with everyone inside 3M and with suppliers. 3M actively pursues Sustainability-inspired innovation in our manufacturing, products and new technologies.

“We have a strong history of leadership in setting goals that drive environmental stewardship and pollution prevention, and advance health and safety in communities around the world,” said Gayle Schueller, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, 3M.  “We’ve made substantial progress against our 2025 goals — and we’re committing to do even more.”

Report Highlights:

·       Reduced manufacturing waste by 11.7%, indexed; exceeding goal of 10% reduction

·       Increased renewable electricity footprint 26.8%, total electricity use--exceeding goal of 25%. (Set new goal of 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2050)

·       Since 2002 voluntarily decreased absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 63.7%

·       3M helped customers prevent over 40 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions

·       19th consecutive year as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index

·       3M Recognized by Ethisphere Institute as One of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 6th Consecutive Year

·        Recognized by in TIME Magazine's list of Best Inventions of 2018 in the Sustainability & Social Good category for the3M™ Smog-reducing Granules

2018: The Year Momentum Multiplied

In 2018, 3M took several steps to set an aggressive long-term strategy for the company to tackle challenges where 3M can make the biggest impact — challenges critical to a sustainable planet and the people living on it.

On Investor Day in November, 3M CEO Michael Roman announced the 3M Strategic Sustainability Framework, which focuses on three areas: Science for Circular, Science for Climate, and Science for Community.

In December, at the annual United Nations Climate Conference (COP24), 3M shared the first major goal of the strategy: Beginning in 2019, every new product that enters 3M’s commercialization process must have a Sustainability Value Commitment demonstrating how it drives impact for the greater good.

Requiring Sustainability Value Commitment in all new products builds on 3M’s history of creating products that emphasize reuse, recycling, and reduced resource use.

3M launches approximately 1,000 new products each year, with a significant fraction of its revenue generated from products released in the past five years. The multiplier impact of this Sustainability Value Commitment on the company’s product portfolio will be immense

The year 2018 culminated with finalizing plans for a stepped-up commitment to renewable energy, doubling our current 2025 global goal and switching 3M’s St. Paul, Minnesota, headquarters to 100 percent renewable electricity on March 1, 2019. The goal is now to convert 3M’s entire operations across 70 countries to renewable electricity by 2050.

By any measure, 3M’s commitment to Sustainability is not new. And by no means has it been insignificant. But given the actions taken in the past year, it’s clear 3M now has even greater ambitions for working toward the greater good.

To view the Sustainability Report, visit: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/sustainability-us/