3M 2005 Annual Report Download - page 19

unique strengths
ingenious solutions 17
Our progress toward sustainability. 3M has long recognized
that the principles of sustainable development are important to a
company’s long-term success. And we’re recognized as a corporate
environmental leader.
In keeping with that tradition, during 2005 the 3M Foundation gave
$3 million to Conservation International to support the restoration
of degraded forests located in the southwestern provinces of
Sichuan and Yunnan in China. We believe reforestation benefits the
environment and supports local communities. Globally, this
reforestation will help address climate change.
We continue to make good progress in reducing our environmental
footprint. Between 1990 and 2000, we reduced volatile organic air
emissions, indexed to net sales, by 93 percent worldwide. Since
2000, we’ve reduced these emissions by an additional 61 percent,
exceeding our target. We reduced waste, indexed to net sales, by 30
percent from 2000 to 2005 – again, exceeding our target.
We also continue to significantly improve our energy efficiency,
which conserves natural resources and reduces greenhouse gas
emissions. We reduced energy use, indexed to net sales, by 27
percent over the period 2000 to 2005. During 2005, 3M employees
completed 288 energy-related projects, resulting in annual energy
savings of $7.1 million.
We achieved a 39 percent reduction in worldwide greenhouse gas
emissions over the period 1990 to 2004. In the United States alone,
we reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from 2002
through 2004. 3M is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders program, a voluntary industry-
government partnership that encourages companies to develop
comprehensive, long-term climate-change strategies.
During 2005, 3M received the EPA’s 2005 Climate Protection
Award for our work in reducing greenhouse gas emissions – both
in 3M operations and for our customers. We also received the
ENERGY STAR®Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA and the
U.S. Department of Energy. This award recognizes continuous
improvement in energy management.
2005 also marked the 30th anniversary of our pioneering Pollution
Prevention Pays (3P) program, which is designed to find ways to
avoid the generation of pollutants. Since 1975, more than 6,000
employee-driven 3P projects have prevented the generation of more
than 2.5 billion pounds of pollutants and produced first-year savings
of more than $1 billion. In recognition of 3P’s success, the program
received the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable’s 2005 Most
Valuable Pollution Prevention Award. The roundtable is composed
of the nation’s pre-eminent pollution-prevention experts.
Our Life Cycle Management process is applied to all new products
on a worldwide basis. Life Cycle Management takes environmental,
health and safety issues into account at every stage of a 3M product’s
life cycle – from design and manufacturing through customer use
and disposal. And at every stage, Life Cycle Management is used to
guide decisions.
In recognition of our proactive corporate policies and practices in
managing the economic, environmental and social aspects of doing
business around the world, 3M was selected for inclusion in the
2005 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. This is the sixth straight year
that we have been selected and the fifth consecutive year that we
were named the leader in our industry group.
Reflecting our commitment to sustainability, we now are setting
new corporate environmental targets that will further reduce our
environmental footprint through 2010.
In 2005, 3M was the recipient of two
prestigious national awards. We received
the United Way of America’s Spirit of
America®Award for our comprehensive
commitment – including generous
donations of time and money by
employees and retirees – to strengthening
communities. We also received the
ENERGY STAR®Sustained Excellence
Award from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and the U.S. Department
of Energy for continuous improvement in
energy management.