Procedures
3M’s Sustainability Report, Scope & Profile
Report Scope
3M develops its Sustainability Report on an annual basis. This report was published in 2008 and contains data collected over 2007 (from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007). The most recent previous Sustainability Report was published in 2007 and contained data relating to 3M’s operations in 2006. 3M’s report is a global report including all 3M-owned manufacturing locations and leased facilities worldwide, including joint ventures and partially owned subsidiaries where we have operational control. 3M does not include outsourced manufacturing locations in its Sustainability Report. The social metrics included in the report relate to all 3M employees. All data discussed in the report is global data. However, in some instances, data is not available on a global basis. When this is the case, the scope of the data is identified within the report content.
Back to Top
Base Year & Other Adjustment
3M generally does not adjust its base year data to reflect changes in 3M’s organizational structure when tracking environmental metrics. As a result, 3M sets environmental targets that are normalized or indexed to production (i.e. lbs emitted / dollar sales) to ensure the environmental progress we report publicly is not unduly influenced by changes to our organizational structure. However, in the case of our greenhouse gas emissions data, 3M follows the World Resource Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s GHG Protocol. Consequently, we readjust our greenhouse gas emissions base year data in the case of business acquisitions and divestitures.
3M adjusts base year data when tracking social metrics.
In every case, 3M adjusts base year and other years' data data if data-collection methods change. Any significant changes in the measurement methods applied to key environmental, social and economic information from previous years are documented within the report’s content. In the case of minor changes, the base and current year data are both modified to reflect the minor changes in measurement method. For example, there were minor changes to the estimation of volatile organic air emissions (VOCs) in 2006. In 2006, 3M instituted a new program to develop VOC emissions reduction plans at each of its major emitting facilities and divisions. As a result of this increased attention, a few 3M facilities identified previously undocumented sources and/or improved their VOC data collection methods. As a result of these changes, 3M’s 2005 VOC emissions were revised upward by nearly 9 percent. All of the 2005 VOC data available in this report, including the data in the Reducing Air Emissions section, reflects this change.
In addition, in 2005, 3M adopted a new definition of waste to drive the company’s waste reduction efforts towards more sustainable solutions, such as pollution prevention. Please see the Reducing Waste section of the report for more information on this change.
In 2007, data entry errors were identified at four 3M manufacturing facilities through internal and external auditing. The correction of these errors led to a 5.8% increase in 3M's 2006 reported VOC emissions and a 1.2% increase in the company's reported waste generation.
Several of 3M’s environmental goals are normalized per dollar sales. 3M does not adjust sales data for inflation.
Back to Top
Report Profile
3M applies the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) reporting principles whenever possible. Any deviations from these principles are documented in the GRI Content Index.
Back to Top
Further Information
Further information concerning 3M’s sustainability reporting can be obtained by contacting 3M Corporate Public Relations at 1-888-3M HELPS(1-888-364-3577) or through the Web.
Back to Top
