Urban renewal:
May 8, 2023
As centers for business, academia, the arts and entertainment, cities are the lifeblood of the global economy, giving individuals from diverse backgrounds opportunities to pursue their dreams. But all that activity comes with a price. 70 percent of the gases that cause global warming emanate from metropolitan areas. This is due to the vast amounts of energy required to power vehicles, buildings, infrastructure and all sorts of human endeavors that define urban living.
That’s why it’s imperative that efforts to combat climate change focus on cities. “If you want to implement something, you go to where that energy is being used, you go to where things are open to change and where you can make an impact,” said Gayle Schueller, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at 3M.
The environmental impacts of cities affect urban residents and spread to rural and developing areas, so this human toll may rise as cities around the world grow. By 2050, it’s expected that more than two-thirds of the world’s population will live in a city.
So if cities are here to stay, what can be done to reduce their environmental impact so that children can breathe easier, waterways become pristine, crops thrive and life on Earth continues to flourish? This is where science and innovation come in. Companies like 3M are developing revolutionary materials that can make urban living more sustainable. “Every new product we launch must have a sustainability value commitment,” said Schueller, speaking at a Washington Post Live event in April 2023. “The idea is to take it above and beyond what we offer today, or what’s offered in the market today, to help it be either more circular from a use of materials perspective, or to address things like climate technology.”
3M, which spends about six percent of its revenue on research and development, produces innovations that can help solve major urban environmental challenges. This is in line with the company’s larger purpose to use science to create a more positive future in which all individuals can thrive. “We’re really based on science and innovating and coming up with new ideas; really helping to change the world through small increments. And big ones when we can,” said Schueller.
Such contributions are crucial if the world is to achieve not just a cleaner environment in aggregate, but environmental equity. Studies show that pollution and emissions disproportionately affect individuals in historically underserved communities. To ensure its environmental efforts take into account the needs of all, 3M last year named Michelle Diggs as its first ever Director of Environmental Justice.
Tackling transportation
Emissions from automobiles, buses, trucks and other transportation assets account for about 37 percent of greenhouse gases globally, and that number is rising. This is taking an enormous toll on human life. In the U.S. alone, it’s estimated that air pollution from transportation causes up to 20,000 deaths per year. Electric vehicles, especially when powered by electricity generated from renewables, can help to reverse this trend. But for their potential to be realized, the performance of EVs must continually improve. Here, 3M offers some helpful innovations.
3M™ Glass Bubbles, tiny but incredibly strong microspheres, can be used in materials for a wide range of EV components, including chassis parts and battery packs. They make the vehicles lighter, which can increase the distance they can travel on a single charge.
3M originally developed Glass Bubbles as a reflective material for road signs, and they are now used in applications ranging from 5G infrastructure to housing insulation. It’s an example of how 3M promotes internal collaboration to create synergies that benefit the world while improving individual lives. “How those technologies come together in different ways is a really exciting piece of what we work on,” said Schueller.
Schueller said the fact that EV sightings are becoming commonplace is proof that investment in such technologies is paying off. “Last weekend I pulled up at an intersection in Austin, Texas … all electric vehicles at the stop sign,” she said. “When did we think that would happen?”
3M also makes a wide range of tapes and adhesives that bond EV components together while reducing hazards such as fires caused by loose battery fittings.
Better buildings
Buildings may look like they’re just sitting there as part of the backdrop to urban life. But their operations, including heating and cooling, contribute to climate change almost every hour of every day. In fact, the so-called built environment accounts for 40 percent of global C02 emissions when energy used during construction is included. According to one study, emissions from buildings account for almost 20,000 early deaths in the U.S. annually, and more than $200 billion in health impacts. Early deaths attributed to emissions from all stationary sources in the U.S. are estimated at 48,000 to 64,000 per year. If this were a cause of death tracked by the government, it would rank eighth – just below diabetes.
Here too, science offers solutions. 3M has developed a material that helps building owners and operators reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain comfortable temperatures inside when it’s hot outside. 3M™ Passive Radiative Cooling Film radiates solar energy back to the sky, keeping what’s underneath cooler than the ambient air temperature. It’s been used on a wide range of rooftops, from retail centers in the Sunbelt to bus stops in Tempe, Ariz., where temperatures often climb into the triple digits in summer.
A major advantage of Passive Radiative Cooling film is that it can be easily retrofitted on to existing structures. “We’re doing experiments now, with pilot activities in different parts of the world,” said Schueller. “Science has to be at the root of what we do.”
3M also makes Smog-reducing Granules for roofing shingles that transform nitrogen-oxide gases into plant-usable nitrogen. “They protect your roof, they look good, but now they can pull smog out of the air,” said Schueller. “We also have cooling roofing granules and a combination of both, where you can reflect the heat and reduce the effect of urban heat islands. So little things that you may not even think about can be brought into our world in subtle ways.”
Another innovation that can help to lower the carbon footprint of urban infrastructure is 3M™ Natural Pozzolans. These can partially replace cement to lower the C02 emissions of concrete. Each ton of natural pozzolans used to displace cement reduces C02 emissions by .75 tons.
Collaboration is key
Schueller believes institutions and individuals at all levels of society – from governments to everyday people – can work towards ensuring greener living in cities and beyond. “I do think that if we’re going to create lasting change, we all have to collaborate and work together.”
3M is putting its commitment to collaboration into practice on numerous fronts, including how it engages with customers. “We work closely with our customers,” said Schueller. “The critical piece is understanding where they’re going.”
Also on the collaboration front, the company last year joined other businesses, financial institutions and non-governmental organizations in forming the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty. The objective is to establish common goals, rules and obligations across national boundaries to end plastic pollution, 60 percent of which comes from cities, and which has a devastating impact on local ecosystems. “This is kind of the plastics equivalent of the Paris accord,” said Schueller.
Plastic waste from packaging can be reduced through the use of alternative materials like 3M Scotch™ Cushion Lock. Inspired by the Japanese art of kirigami, this recycled paper, which itself is recyclable, fills shipping boxes with up to 60 percent less material than plastic bubble.
3M also engages on climate matters with groups like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the EU’s Triple C project, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the United Nations Water Resilience Coalition. “When I talk about climate change, or sustainability in general, I think there’s three words to keep in mind … science, urgency and collaboration,” said Schueller, who holds a PhD in materials science.
“When I talk about climate change, or sustainability in general, I think there’s three words to keep in mind … science, urgency and collaboration.”
At the policy level, Schueller applauded efforts by local and state governments to set specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental goals. For example, last year the city of Baltimore announced a plan to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2045. And “far beyond Maryland, things are happening … it’s very exciting to see,” said Schueller. On the federal front, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $369 billion in funding for projects and incentives that can help to mitigate climate change.
At the personal level, Schueller urged attendees to think about how small changes in daily habits – from what we eat to how we get around – can create big environmental gains. “Choosing a plant-based diet has a dramatic effect, compared to almost any other choice you can make,” said Schueller And, “maybe ride a bicycle or walk to where you’re going instead of jumping into a [rideshare] automatically.”
So what’s the best way to put cities, and the larger world, on the right track when it comes to rolling back pollution and climate change? “I think it’s a matter of steps; one step at a time,” said Schueller.