Altria Group’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets have been approved for the first time by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The Scope 1 and 2 target covering greenhouse gas emissions from Altria’s operations is consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a goal that the latest climate science says is needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. The Scope 3 target meets the criteria for ambitious value chain goals and current best practice.
“We believe it’s important to continually work to address important social and environmental challenges,” said Jennifer Hunter, senior vice president, corporate citizenship at Altria. “This is why we’ve set a higher bar and reset our long-term goals, including achieving 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, 100 percent water neutrality annually, and aligning our business with the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets designated by the SBTi.”
In addition to SBTi approval, for the third year in a row Altria has been named to CDP’s Water A-List, among only 2 percent of disclosing global companies in 2019, and is recognized on CDP’s 2019 Climate Change survey as a global leader for engagement with suppliers on climate change.
More than 900 companies have committed to the SBTi, and just over 400 have SBTi-approved targets. SBTi is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting and independently assesses companies’ targets.
Altria’s recently released 2019 Corporate Responsibility Progress Report details the company’s continued progress on these environmental goals and on Altria’s four responsibility priorities: reducing the harm of tobacco products, including preventing underage tobacco use; marketing responsibly; managing our supply chain responsibly; and developing our employees and culture.