3M has expanded its 2025 Sustainability Goals with a new commitment to increase employee empowerment and enrich communities across the globe. The St. Paul, Minnesota-headquartered company will provide 300,000 work hours of skills-based volunteerism by 3M employees to improve lives and help solve society’s toughest challenges. 3M operates in the promotional products industry as supplier 3M Promotional Markets (PPAI 113638, S11).
“NGOs, universities and social enterprises around the world face resource constraints to address the environmental and social challenges in their communities,” says Gayle Schueller, 3M vice president and chief sustainability officer. “With this new goal, we’re empowering our employees to give back beyond 3M products and technologies, as well as traditional volunteerism, by leveraging their professional skills to help organizations reach their goals.”
To reach 300,000 hours, the company is expanding 3M Impact, a skills-based service program that allows employees to lend their business skills, experience and energy to make a difference in global communities, while also developing leadership, problem-solving and interpersonal communication skills. In 2020, 200 3M employees will travel to 15 cities around the world to work side-by-side with nonprofits, organizations and local municipalities. To help facilitate these diverse projects, 3M is partnering with advisory firm PYXERA Global.
“This new commitment will make 3M Impact the fastest-growing skills-based global pro bono program,” said Gavin Cepelak, senior vice president, global pro bono at PYXERA Global. “People want to work for companies that are purpose-driven, and I’m delighted to see 3M’s increased investment in their employees and communities with this announcement.”
Along with international volunteer projects, 3M Impact will provide opportunities for employees in their own communities as well as in the region surrounding 3M’s global headquarters in Saint Paul. In addition to assisting groups and organizations in need, each one of these projects is designed to support 3M’s Strategic Sustainability Framework, advancing its commitments to Science for Circular, Science for Climate, and/or Science for Community.
3M’s 2025 Sustainability Goals were established in 2015 and the company has updated them over time. The new skills-based volunteerism pledge brings the number of 2025 Sustainability Goals to 15 and builds upon additional sustainability commitments by 3M, including its legacy Pollution Prevention Pays program, membership in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 for circular economy, The Climate Group’s RE100 for renewable energy and 3M’s own Sustainability Value Commitment, requiring every new 3M product to demonstrate how it drives impact for the greater good.
