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  • PMI Considering Selling Stake in Vectura

    PMI Considering Selling Stake in Vectura

    Image: Denys Rudyi

    Philip Morris International is considering selling a stake in Vectura, according to Reuters.

    PMI is looking to bring on a partner to help operate and grow Vectura’s drug manufacturing outsourcing business, according to company statements to the Wall Street Journal. PMI could possibly sell a majority or a minority stake. Other options are a licensing or royalties deal or a commercial partnership.

    In 2021, PMI bought Vectura for $1.36 billion as part of the company’s long-term plan to transition to a “broader healthcare and wellness” company. PMI also acquired Fertin Pharma and OtiTopic in the same year.

    “We aim to accelerate Vectura’s growth and will be exploring potential partnerships to enhance its contract development and manufacturing organization business,” Chief Financial Officer Emmanuel Babeau said in July, noting that the company remained committed to developing the wellness healthcare segment.

  • PMI Gets Science-Based Targets Validation

    PMI Gets Science-Based Targets Validation

    Image: metamorworks

    The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has verified Philip Morris International’s Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions reductions targets.

    According to the Science Based Targets initiative, “SBTi’s FLAG guidance provides the world’s first standard method for companies in land-intensive sectors to set science-based targets that include land-based emission reductions and removals. The guidance enables companies to reduce the 22 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use.”

    PMI maintains its science-based target to reach net-zero emissions for scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2040, which was validated by SBTi in July 2022. As part of its ongoing net-zero commitment, PMI has now pledged to reduce absolute scope 3 emissions related to forestry, land and agriculture by 33.3 percent by 2030 in line with SBTi best practice. PMI aspires to reduce all other scope 3 emissions by 27.5 percent within the same timeframe. PMI’s 2040 net-zero target remains in line with a 1.5-degree scenario, aligned with leading edge target-setters across business industries. PMI outlines comprehensive plans to achieving net-zero by 2040 in its Low-Carbon Transition Plan.

    “We renew and continue our effort to direct our activities toward decarbonizing our value chain and are committed to aligning our work with relevant updates on international methodologies, such as the Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) and guidance from the SBTi on forest, land, and agriculture science-based targets,” said Scott Coutts, senior vice president of operations at PMI.

    “The SBTi’s science-based targets on forestry, land use, and agriculture will become the gold standard for companies within the agricultural sector to accelerate emissions reductions, and we are pleased to be early adopters,” said Jennifer Motles, chief sustainability officer at PMI. “The SBTi’s validation demonstrates that our targets are rooted in science and aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to keep global warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold that is considered the limit beyond which climate-related impacts will be catastrophic.”

    The Science Based Targets initiative is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature and is one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets.

  • Turkiye Expands Ban on Selling Tobacco

    Turkiye Expands Ban on Selling Tobacco

    Image: ubonwanu

    Turkiye has expanded the scope of its ban on serving and selling tobacco and alcohol products, according to Xinhua News Agency.

    Sales of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are banned on all premises of health, education and cultural and sports facilities. The ban does not apply to points of sale in accommodation, recreational and camping areas, however.

  • Cyprus Government to Ban Flavored HTPs

    Cyprus Government to Ban Flavored HTPs

    Image: Arid Ocean

    The Cyprus government is moving to ban the sale of flavored heated-tobacco products (HTPs) following the Ministerial Council’s decision to adopt the relevant European legislation, according to In-Cyprus.

    HTPs still allowed on the market will have to apply special warning labels and images to packaging, which will align the packaging with that of conventional cigarettes.

    The aim of these changes is to “harmonize national legislation with European directives, as today’s Ministerial Council approved an amendment to regulations regarding the withdrawal of certain exemptions for heated-tobacco products.”

    The council decided on the “extension of the ban on the sale of tobacco products with characteristic aroma/flavor or containing aromatic substances in any of their ingredients and on heated-tobacco products.”

    “It was also decided to include verbal warnings/notifications about the harmful effects of smoking on the packaging of heated-tobacco products. These warnings will be accompanied by deterrent images.”

    “In the legislation for smoking control, established in 2017, these products were exempted, and the sale of conventional cigarettes and rolling tobacco that contained aromatic substances in their ingredients was prohibited,” said Health Minister Popi Kanari. “With these regulatory amendments, the sale of heated-tobacco products containing aromatic substances in any of their ingredients is prohibited beyond conventional cigarettes and rolling tobacco.”

    “The amendment does not apply to vaping products that contain liquid but only to the category involving heated-tobacco products in which cigarettes with aromatic substances are placed,” said Kanari.

  • Ultimate Recognition

    Ultimate Recognition

    Winners of the 2023 Golden Leaf Awards accept their trophies in Seoul

    The winners of the 2023 Golden Leaf Awards accepted their trophies during a ceremony on Sept. 20 in the Conrad Seoul hotel—the site of this year’s Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum. This year’s competition stood out due to a record number of entries and, according to the judges, an unusually challenging selection process as a result of the high quality of submissions.

    This year’s winners are:

    • ANDS, which was recognized for its Slix single-use e-cigarette
    • Alliance One India Industries, which was recognized for its efforts to empower women in India
    • Vaporesso, which was recognized for its Vaporesso COSS technology.
    • The ICCPP Group, which was recognized for its across-the-board commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology.
    • The Center for Agricultural Transformation, which was recognized for its efforts to help diversify Malawi farmers’ income streams.
    • Innokin, which was recognized for developing a ceramic material that eliminates metal from the vape coil.

    The Golden Leaf Awards are sponsored exclusively by BMJ. Read more about the winning entries here. 

  • BAT Plants Flowers to Address Litter

    BAT Plants Flowers to Address Litter

    Image: Marquicio

    BAT Rothmans, the Korean unit of BAT, has started a flower planting campaign called “Kkot BAT” to help prevent litter and cigarette butts in alleys.

    “Kkot” translates to “flower” and “BAT” translates to “plot;” the campaign is placing flowerpots or flowerbeds in neighborhoods suffering from litter and illegal waste disposal.

    BAT Rothmans has secured partnerships with nongovernmental organizations with close relationships to local communities.

    “Our Kkot BAT campaign is a meaningful campaign in which companies join hands with the local community for environmental solutions,” said Kim Eun-ji, the country manager of BAT Rothmans. “We will continue to give positive influence on neighborhoods with environmental, social and corporate governance efforts.”

    BAT Rothmans signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean National Council for Conservation of Nature Seoul branch in June and planted its first flower garden in Jung-gu, Seoul, near BAT Rothmans’ headquarters.

    Following its first campaign, BAT Rothmans will plant about 20 flower gardens all over Seoul, with plans to expand its influence to Gwanak-gu, Dobong-gu and Nowon-gu by the end of the year.

  • BAT Outlines Five-Step Vapor Rules Plan

    BAT Outlines Five-Step Vapor Rules Plan

    BAT has released a blueprint for how regulators and governments could better regulate vapor products and help smokers switch to less risky products.

    During DTNF 2023, held from Sept 18-20 in Seoul, BAT’s global head of business communications, Jonathan Atwood, told attendees how BAT’s five-step plan for regulation could support achieving the right balance between harm reduction and the unintended consequences of access, including underage use.

    Speaking on behalf of Kingsley Wheaton, BAT’s chief strategy & growth officer, Atwood said that reckless players in the market need to be penalized when they do not abide by the rules. He said the five suggestions are the areas that regulators should explore and establish “smart regulation” that is right for their market.

    “First, on-device technology and functionality: vapor products should be accessible only to adults. Both underage prevention and restriction is crucial. On-device technology, when applied and enforced across entire markets, could help in this regard.

    “Second, more recognition is needed that flavors are an important driver of adoption for smokers seeking alternatives. However, flavors in vapor products should not particularly appeal to anyone underage.

    “Third is at the manufacturing and import level: ensuring that non-compliant products cannot reach the market in the first place.

    “Fourth, where no restrictions exist already, regulators may want to look at who should be able to sell vapor products and where. Reasonable safeguards at the point-of-sale would help ensure these products are sold only to adult consumers. Solutions such as retail licensing and facial recognition technologies should be seriously considered.

    “Lastly, enforcement and penalties: governments must wield their power and ensure consumers are purchasing legitimate products. Such measures should be rigorously enforced and those who fail to comply should face meaningful sanctions.”

    Atwood said BAT was calling upon governments, regulators, and industry peers to rally towards a sustainable and progressive environment in which vaping products are sold and marketed responsibly.

  • Malawi Commits to ‘Decent Work’

    Malawi Commits to ‘Decent Work’

    Image: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Malawi’s government has committed to ensuring that there is “decent work” for tobacco sector employees, according to Malawi24.com.

    Hlalerwayo Kelvin Nyangulu, labor commissioner, made the statements during a workshop on strengthening knowledge of labor laws, issues and compliance. “In 2021, the employment act was amended, and we actually abolished tenants labor in Malawi,” Nyangulu said. “So, (the) government is really committed to ensure that we have decent work in the tobacco sector.

    “What is important now is that a decision has been made, a law has been enacted, so what is happening is that as I speak, tenants labor is abolished in Malawi. As you may know, tenants labor was providing fertile ground for child labor; it was also providing fertile ground for forced labor; now that it is abolished, that’s why we are talking about developing standard contracts that will define the relationship between employer and the worker in the tobacco sector,” said Nyangulu.

    Currently, the push is for tobacco workers to be paid monthly wages, according to Nyangulu. “You see, tobacco is produced by smallholder farmers and large estate owners. We have seen that some farmers are complaining that they cannot afford to pay the monthly wages, but since we have the law, we just need to find ways how these farmers can be empowered so that they comply with the law.”

    “What has prompted us to do this is that as ECAM [Employers Consultative Association of Malawi] under ILO, we carried out a training needs assessment, and one of the things that was highlighted there was that many companies or personnel companies are not aware of international labor standards,” said George Khaki, executive director of ECAM. “Actually, it was 62 percent of them who indicated that they were not aware of international labor standards.”

    “So we thought this was a good platform for us to bring the knowledge on international labor standards today, but we are also trying to promote the use of standard contracts; we know that tenants labor was abolished in 2021 in the employment act, which means there will be normal employment relationship for players in the tobacco (sector), and to facilitate that, we are developing a standard contract that can be adopted and be used by the majority of players that do not have capability to develop contrasts,” said Khaki.

  • FDA Seeks Nominations for TPSAC

    FDA Seeks Nominations for TPSAC

    Image: freshidea

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is requesting nominations by Oct. 11, 2023, for a nonvoting representative of the interests of the tobacco manufacturing industry to serve on the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC). Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by any interested person or organization.

    In addition, the CTP is seeking any industry organizations interested in participating in the selection of this TPSAC nonvoting representative.

    Nomination materials for prospective TPSAC candidates and letters from industry organizations interested in participating in the selection process should be sent to the CTP by Oct. 11, 2023. Please see the Federal Register notice for further details on the nomination and selection procedures.

    TPSAC advises the CTP in its responsibilities related to the regulation of tobacco products. The committee reviews and evaluates safety, dependence and health issues concerning tobacco products and provides appropriate advice, information and recommendations to the FDA commissioner.

  • Victoria Harker Joins PMI Board

    Victoria Harker Joins PMI Board

    Image: Syda Productions

    Philip Morris International appointed a new member, Victoria Harker, to serve on the board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

    Harker is an experienced U.S. public-company chief financial officer, having served in the role with three different companies, and she has been involved in significant corporate transformations in the consumer, industrial and utility sectors for over 25 years. She is a high-energy, action-oriented, strategic executive who has worked at a significant scale, most recently as executive vice president and chief financial officer of TEGNA Inc., a global media and digital communications company, a position she will step down from effective Dec. 31, 2023. Prior to this, she served as executive vice president, chief financial officer and president of global business services of The AES Corporation, a global power company. She has served as a nonexecutive member of the boards of directors of two large and complex U.S. public companies, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Xylem Inc., since the time of their respective spinoffs. Harker also serves as the audit committee chair for Huntington Ingalls Industries and as the compensation committee chair for Xylem Inc. She is vice chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, a member of the University of Virginia Health System board and was previously a member of the University of Virginia board of visitors.

    Andre Calantzopoulos, PMI’s executive chairman, commended Harker on the appointment, and said in a statement, “We are delighted to welcome Victoria to the PMI board of directors. Her broad finance and business experience will further strengthen and diversify the capabilities of our board in successfully guiding our company through its ambitious and highly promising journey toward a smoke-free future and beyond.”