Category: Sustainability

  • The Ethics of Meddling in Other People’s Lives

    The Ethics of Meddling in Other People’s Lives

    The World Science Forum will be held in Cape Town in December 2021 under the theme of “science for social justice.”

    As a precedent, a new documentary examines the ethics of intervening in the lives of others under the lens of South Africa’s go-it-alone ban on tobacco and alcohol sales to tackle Covid-19. Leading medical, policy and civil society experts weigh up the scientific evidence for and against. Taxation, jobs, sectoral interests, religious indoctrination, values and civil liberties all come into play.

    Further issues debated include concepts of recent history and subjugation versus today’s democracy and the rule of law. Have fundamental principles of autonomy, human dignity, freedom and equality been forced to give way?

    Is the medical profession’s “unconscionable collusion” acceptable? How must lawmakers navigate between the rights and responsibilities of individuals to look after themselves and the rights and responsibilities of states to look after their citizens?

    Above all, as this pandemic collides with the known syndemics of tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/Aids, hepatitis etc., the panel argues for the urgent acceptance and application of harm reduction science worldwide.

  • Tobacco Firms Named Top Employers

    Tobacco Firms Named Top Employers

    Image: Top Employer Institute

    British American Tobacco (BAT), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Imperial Brands have been recognized by the Top Employers Institute.

    BAT and JTI were certified as two of only 16 “Global Top Employers.” Imperial Brands was named a “Top Employer Europe” for a fourth consecutive year in 2021.

    “Receiving Global Top Employer certification for the fourth-year running is a fantastic achievement as it acknowledges our commitment to creating an inclusive and innovative working environment that our employees enjoy being a part of,” said Hae In Kim, director, talent, culture and inclusion at BAT, in a press note.

    “Our employees are our most important asset, and we are particularly proud of the resilience and determination they have displayed during the pandemic. Without doubt, they are a key driver in our continued strong performance as we transform our business and build A Better Tomorrow for all our stakeholders.”

    “The Top Employer certification is not an end-in-itself,” said Steve Dyer, JTI’s vice president, global talent management, in a statement. “For us, it is confirmation that we have always been on the right track by making our workplace a safe and flexible environment for all our employees, whether they are farmers, scientists, office or factory workers.

    “This seventh consecutive certification also sends a strong message to our future employees: we constantly give our people the opportunity to develop their career under the best conditions in order to perform to their highest abilities while being themselves.”

    “I am delighted that Imperial has been recognised for another year with the Top Employer certification,” said Alison Clarke, chief people and culture officer at Imperial Brands, in a statement.

    “Our HR Practices have been surveyed against an international benchmark with a thorough methodology. This accreditation is a symbol of the high standards that we aspire to deliver every day for our people.”

    “Despite the challenging year we have experienced, which has certainly made an impact on organisations around the globe, our regional top employers have continued to demonstrate the power of putting their people first in the workplace,” said David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute.

    Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognizing excellence in the conditions that businesses create for their people.

    Companies participating in its prestigious certification program have the potential to gain top employer status following a comprehensive analysis of people development practices.

    The institute’s analysis covers 600 practices across a number of areas including: talent strategy, workforce planning, on-boarding, learning and development, performance management, leadership development, career and succession management, compensation and benefits and culture.

  • Claim: Tobacco Profiting from Child Labor

    Claim: Tobacco Profiting from Child Labor

    Tobacco companies say they go to great lengths to keep their supply chains free of child labor.
    (Photo: Timothy Donahue)

    British American Tobacco (BAT) and Imperial Brands profited from child labor on tobacco farms in Malawi, according to a legal claim initiated after an investigation by The Guardian.

    The claim alleges “widespread use of unlawful child labor, unlawful forced labor and the systematic exposure of vulnerable and impoverished adults and children to extremely hazardous working conditions with minimal protection against industrial accidents, injuries and diseases.”

    The Guardian’s 2018 investigation reported that tobacco farmers were exposed to nicotine poisoning, toxic pesticides and harsh weather conditions during labor-intensive shifts in areas where up to 63 percent of children were engaged in child labor.

    Due to that investigation, several countries, including the U.S., suspended leaf imports from Malawi over the child labor allegations. U.S. Customs and Border Protection later cleared imports from Malawi by Limbe Leaf Tobacco Co. and Alliance One International after investigations determined that the tobacco imported by those companies was not harvested and produced with child labor.

    (Tobacco Reporter recently featured Alliance One’s actions to keep its supply chain free of child labor and forced labor in a feature article, titled, “Up to the Task.”)

    BAT and Imperial Brand declined to comment on the specifics of the case.

    “BAT takes human rights very seriously and expects all employees and suppliers to respect and uphold them. It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the specifics of this situation, given the possibility of future litigation,” a BAT spokesperson said. “We take the issue of child labor extremely seriously and strongly agree that children must never be exploited, exposed to danger or denied an education.”

    “We take the issue of child and forced labor very seriously and do not condone exploitative practices in our supply chains, as made clear in our code of conduct, which is published on our corporate website,” an Imperial Brands spokesperson said.

    “We actively seek to prevent exploitation through multi-stakeholder initiatives, including an industry-wide sustainable tobacco program, which is aligned to the U.N. guiding principles. We will defend any claim vigorously, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

    Leigh Day, the law firm that filed the legal claim, said that more details of the claim will be filed in January 2021 with the monetary value to be set later.

  • Altria Certified as Great Place to Work

    Altria Certified as Great Place to Work

    Photo: Altria Group

    Altria Group has been certified a Great Place to Work by Great Place to Work, a global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue and increased innovation.

    “We are thrilled to be Great Place to Work-Certified and particularly pleased that more than 90 percent of employees who participated in the survey said that Altria is a great place to work,” said Charlie Whitaker, Altria’s senior vice president, chief human resources officer and chief compliance officer, in a statement. “Engaged, empowered and appreciated employees are critical to achieving our ten-year Vision to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a non-combustible future.”

    According to a survey fielded by Great Place to Work, of the employees who took the survey, 94 percent believe that Altria promotes flexibility, has ethical leadership, provides a good working environment, and supports its communities. 2020 was the first year that Altria participated in the Great Place to Work certification process.

    “We congratulate Altria on their Certification,” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of best workplace list research at Great Place to Work. “Organizations that earn their employees’ trust create great workplace cultures that deliver outstanding business results.”

  • BAT Publishes First Human Rights Report

    BAT Publishes First Human Rights Report

    Image: BAT

    British American Tobacco (BAT) has become the first tobacco company to publish a Human Rights Report. The report coincides with U.N. Human Rights Day and highlights the company’s commitment and actions to protect human rights across its global business and supply chain. BAT has also announced a commitment to aim for zero child labor in its agricultural supply chain by 2025.

    Jack Bowles

    “We recognize that forced labor is a serious risk in agricultural supply chains, and I am proud that we had zero reported cases of forced labor in 2019,” said Jack Bowles, BAT CEO, in a statement. “We adopt a zero-tolerance approach to forced labor whilst having a clear commitment to aim for our tobacco supply chain to also be free of child labor by 2025.”

    BAT’s Human Rights Report is aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles Reporting Framework. The report highlights the measures BAT takes to promote, uphold and protect human rights across its supply chain, which includes 90,000 directly contracted farmers. The report also features case studies to showcase partnerships and activities aimed at improving farmer livelihoods and securing the long-term sustainability of rural communities.

    This year’s U.N. Human Rights Day focuses on the global impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on human rights. BAT’s report highlights many of the initiatives the company has adopted to address the pandemic, including developing a potential Covid-19 vaccine candidate; producing and distributing protective equipment and sanitizer; providing financial support to suppliers where required; and ensuring access to Covid-19-secure workplaces for workers throughout the supply chain.

     

  • Altria Earns Double ‘A’ for Climate And Water

    Altria Earns Double ‘A’ for Climate And Water

    Photo: Altria Group

    Altria Group has been awarded a double ‘A’ rating for tackling climate change and protecting water security by CDP, a nonprofit that runs a global disclosure system on managing environmental impact. Altria ranks among the 1 percent of companies that achieved a double ‘A’ out of 5,800-plus businesses scored by CDP in 2020.

    “We recognize the critical importance of addressing environmental challenges and have set a high bar for ourselves,” said Jennifer Hunter, senior vice president of corporate citizenship, in a statement. “In pursuit of our 10-year vision, we established ambitious goals to address climate change and water security, like 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.”

    Earlier this year, Altria announced that its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets were approved for the first time by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The Scope 1 and Scope 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.

    CDP’s annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is widely recognized as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency. A detailed and independent methodology is used, allocating a score of A to D- based on the comprehensiveness of disclosure, awareness and management of environmental risks and demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious and meaningful targets. Those that don’t disclose or provided insufficient information are marked with an F.

    CDP also recognized Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands for their environmental commitments.

  • PMI Credited for Sustainability

    PMI Credited for Sustainability

    Photo: PMI

    Philip Morris International (PMI) has become one of just 10 companies worldwide to receive CDP’s prestigious “triple-A” score for its efforts in combating climate change, protecting forests, and water security.

    It’s the first year PMI has achieved the top result in each of the three categories. CDP is an international non-profit organization that uses data to help decision-makers reduce risk, capitalize on opportunities, and drive action toward achieving the world’s sustainability goals.

    “We are proud and humbled to have obtained CDP’s top score for our sustainability efforts. Climate change is one of the most significant crises of our lifetime,” said Massimo Andolina, PMI’s senior vice president of operations, in a statement. “We strongly believe that PMI must play its part in protecting our planet by reducing our environmental impact across our value chain and by defining and executing strategies and initiatives to achieve our long-term targets.”

    This marks the seventh year that PMI has ranked on CDP’s A List for Climate Change. For the previous year, PMI also earned a position on the Water Security A List, and an A- for its forest disclosure.

    “We would like to thank our teams and our suppliers all over the world for building, day by day, a more resilient and sustainable value chain, and for this fantastic achievement,” said Laurence Ruffieux, PMI’s director of operations sustainability. “We are honored by CDP’s recognition of our efforts, inspiring us to continue to strengthen our strategies to achieve our targets of zero deforestation and carbon neutrality in our direct operations by 2030, and sustainable water stewardship.”

    CDP’s annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is widely recognized as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency. In 2020, more than 515 investors with over $106 trillion in assets and 150-plus major purchasers with $4 trillion in procurement spend requested companies to disclose data on environmental impacts, risks, and opportunities through CDP’s platform. Over 9,600 responded—the highest ever total.

    CDP also recognized Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands for corporate sustainability.

  • Tobacco Firms Lauded for Sustainability

    Tobacco Firms Lauded for Sustainability

    Photo: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

    CDP, a global environmental nonprofit, has recognized Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands for their leadership in corporate sustainability.

    JT achieved a place on CDP’s prestigious A List for tackling climate change as well as acting to protect water security for the second consecutive year. In addition, in December 2020, the company endorsed the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

    “We are delighted to be included in the CDP’s Climate A List and Water A List for the second consecutive year. This clearly reflects our continued efforts to reduce our environmental footprint and our transparency in disclosing information,” said Kazuhito Yamashita, member of the board and senior vice president, chief sustainability officer, compliance and general affairs in a press note.

    Imperial Brands too secured a place on CDP’s prestigious “A List” for tackling climate change for the second successive year.

    The business has been recognized for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and transition to a lower-carbon economy, based on the data reported through CDP’s 2020 climate change questionnaire.

    Stefan Bomhard

    “To retain our A rating is a tremendous achievement that highlights our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint,” said Imperial Brands Chief Executive Stefan Bomhard in a statement. “The data we provided for review by CDP was extensive and I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in pulling together such an impressive submission.”

    CDP’s annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is widely acknowledged as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency. Japan Tobacco and Imperial Brands are among a small number of A List companies out of more than 5,800 that were scored.

    A detailed and independent methodology is used by CDP to assess companies based on the comprehensiveness of disclosure, awareness and management of environmental risks and demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious and meaningful targets.

    “We extend our congratulations to all the companies on this year’s A List,” said Paul Simpson, CEO of CDP. “Taking the lead on environmental transparency and action is one of the most important steps businesses can make, and is even more impressive in this challenging year marked by Covid-19.”

  • PMI Announces New Parental Leave Policy

    PMI Announces New Parental Leave Policy

    Photo: PMI

    Philip Morris International (PMI) will launch a new parental leave scheme that focuses on “people raising families” rather than the gendered stereotype of “women having children.” It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2021.

    The new global minimum parental leave principles will be implemented in phases across all markets as part of PMI’s commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce.

    PMI’s new minimum leave principles will provide primary caregivers with a minimum of 18 weeks fully paid parental leave and secondary caregivers with a minimum of eight weeks fully paid parental leave. Countries may exceed these principles if, for example, local laws require it or local management teams choose to implement a different package.

    “Our new minimum parental leave principles are inclusive as they apply to all employees regardless of gender or sexual orientation and regardless of whether they become parents through birth, adoption or surrogacy,” said Silke Muenster, PMI’s chief diversity officer, in a statement. “I see it as another demonstration of how PMI is creating a more inclusive, diverse work environment to meet the challenges and expectations of our people for the 21st century workplace.”

  • BAT Recognized as Diversity Leader

    BAT Recognized as Diversity Leader

    Photo: truthseeker08 from Pixabay

    The BAT Group (BAT) has been named as a diversity leader by the Financial Times for a second consecutive year.
     
    The FT Diversity Leaders report recognizes the top 850 companies across 16 European countries that have achieved a diverse and inclusive workplace. It assesses key areas including gender balance, sexual orientation and a workforce comprising an ethnic and social mix that reflects wider society.
     
    BAT says diversity and inclusion have been a key part of its heritage, which goes back 120 years. The company employs 141 nationalities in management positions across 189 countries and 87 nationalities in its London head office alone.
     
    This year, BAT set itself new diversity and inclusion ambitions to achieve by 2025, including:

    • Increasing the number of women in senior leadership teams to 40 percent
    • Increasing the number of women in management roles to 45 percent
    • Achieving a 50 percent spread of nationalities within key leadership teams to better mirror BAT’s consumer base.

    “We are delighted to be named as a diversity leader by the Financial Times for the second year running,” said Hae In Kim, director of talent, culture and inclusion, in a statement. “This recognition acknowledges our ongoing commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture at BAT underpinned by our ethos, which encourages our employees to be bold, fast, empowered, responsible and diverse. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and recognize, like many other businesses, we can and must still do more.”