- Overview
- SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
- ENVIRONMENTAL
- SOCIAL
- Social overview
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Employee experience
- Community engagement
- Human rights
- Suppliers
- GOVERNANCE
- Governance overview
- Corporate governance
- Be 3M: Corporate Code of Conduct
- Innovation management
- Enterprise risk management
- Stakeholder engagement
- REPORTING & POLICIES
Our Strategy and Promise
Our approach and Promise
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Dedicated to science and innovation, 3M has taken on global challenges and developed new solutions for our customers for over 120 years. But as the needs of the world have changed, so has our commitment to leading the way forward.
As a company, we promise to improve lives by helping solve the world’s greatest challenges.
We believe in an equitable and inclusive world. We think, work, and act to drive meaningful change that endures. Together, we commit to creating a more sustainable world for future generations. We approach this work through our Strategic Sustainability Framework, which focuses 3M’s efforts on areas where we will make the greatest impact. This framework — along with our goals and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics — reflects the commitment we make to thinking holistically about how our operations, people, and products contribute to a better and brighter future.
Our Strategic Sustainability Goals
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3M’s Sustainability Goals are organized within each pillar of our Strategic Sustainability Framework — Science for Circular, Science for Climate, and Science for Community.
Building on our global capabilities and diverse technologies, we apply our expertise to create bold ambitions and shape a sustainable future in our three pillars:
Science for Circular
Design solutions that do more with less material, advancing a global circular economy.
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Require a Sustainability Value Commitment (SVC) for every new product1
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Reduce manufacturing waste by an additional 10%, indexed to sales, by 2025
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Achieve zero landfill status at more than 30% of manufacturing sites by 2025
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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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For 3M’s global manufacturing operations, 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 operational by 2024.
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Engage 100% of water-stressed/scarce communities where 3M manufactures on community-wide approaches to water management by 2025
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Reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based plastic by 125 million pounds by 20255,6
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Drive supply chain sustainability through targeted raw material traceability and supplier performance assurance by 2025
Science for Climate
Innovate to decarbonize industry, accelerate global climate solutions and improve our environmental footprint.
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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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Improve energy efficiency indexed to net sales by 30% by 2025
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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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Increase renewable energy to 50% of total electricity use by 2025 and to 100% by 2050
Science for Community
Create a more positive world through science and inspire people to join us.
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Invest $50 million to address racial opportunity gaps in the U.S. through workforce development and STEM education initiatives by 20256
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Double the pipeline of diverse talent in management globally to build a diverse workforce by 20308
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Double the representation of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino employees in the U.S6,9
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Advance economic equity by creating five million unique STEM and skilled trades learning experiences for underrepresented individuals by the end of 202510
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Provide training to five million people globally on worker and patient safety by 2025
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Invest cash and products for education, community, and environmental programs by 2025
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Maintain or achieve 100% pay equity globally6,9
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Provide 300,000 work hours of skills-based volunteerism by 3M employees to improve lives and help solve society’s toughest challenges 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, solids (TDS/TSS), sulfate, and others.
- Water used by manufacturing or industrial processes including all water use not defined as domestic (sanitary, cafeteria, etc.).
- Established in 2021.
- 2020 is the baseline measurement year.
- 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.
- In 2021, 3M updated the goal maturity date to 2030 from 2025. See 3M's 2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report (PDF, 2.23 MB) for more details.
- Established in 2020 to drive trend and trajectory progress over time.
- 2021 establishing 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.
Learn more in our full reports
