What 3M’s First Scope 3 Goal Means for Manufacturing

3M, the leading industrial manufacturer has made a major sustainability milestone by announcing its first Scope 3 goal.

The company’s near-term, science- based emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) as meeting the 1.5° C trajectory of the Paris Agreement. 

In order to do this 3M has refined its scope 1 and two targets for 2030, affirming its commitment to climate action, decarbonisation of its operations and portfolio of products and continual innovation on behalf of customers around the world. 

"3M has a long history of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions,” said Gayle Schueller, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at 3M. 

“The validation of our targets by SBTi reflects years of collaboration and dedication by 3Mers working on a detailed action plan to innovate across our portfolio to decarbonise industry, accelerate our climate solutions and improve our environmental footprint.”

"We will continue to drive innovation in our products and our processes, empowering customers to reach their sustainability goals, and working together to build a low-carbon economy."

SBTi is a critical framework that through specific standards, guidance and tools helps companies establish emission reduction targets and broader aims based on climate science. 

"Not only has 3M been an early adopter of setting targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, but we have also helped evolve the science of measurement and accounting for supply chain emissions (Scope 3), which are particularly challenging for a diverse, global company like 3M," Gayle adds.  

"For years, we have focused on demonstrating our math, path and plan and we will continue to leverage that on behalf of our customers." 

The announcement of 3M's first Scope 3 GHG emissions target is a milestone in the company's journey to account for a portfolio that spans across industries including automotive, protective safety, energy, consumer packaged goods, and electronics.

3M has been documenting and reporting scope 1 and 2 inventory since 2002 and has been developing its scope 3 emissions inventory since 2011 in line with the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard.

What this means for manufacturing

3M establishing its first Scope 3 emissions goal adds to the growing voices and emphasis within manufacturing towards indirect emissions. Previously overlooked despite its importance, manufacturers are now evaluating sustainability throughout the value chain from raw material extraction to product use to end-of-life disposal. 

For 3M, a manufacturing giant, Scope 3 emissions are the largest share of its carbon footprint. By highlighting this, they send a strong signal across the value chain to improve sustainability practices, leading to newfound material and process innovation.

This will subsequently influence the rest of the industry, helping establish Scope 3 as a critical focus for all throughout the sector. The historic focus on Scope 1 and Scope 2 reductions must shift to a more holistic approach. 

By establishing its first Scope 3 emission goal the company is also responding and contributing to greater regulatory and consumer pressure to be sustainable. It highlights the meaningful impact this pressure can have, leading to an increase in it. 

Finally, focusing on Scope 3 leads to a more comprehensive climate strategy, one that in time more manufacturers will adopt.

It makes decarbonisation a more holistic process by targeting both direct and indirect emissions, driving more systemic change.

Ultimately by adopting Scope 3 targets 3M is playing an important role in advancing holistic sustainability strategies that address the environmental challenges of today’s interconnected, global manufacturing sector.

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