Philip Morris International among 50 global leaders in sustainability

Philip Morris International (PMI) has been recognized as one of the 50 global leaders in sustainability within the international business community, in a documentary project entitled “50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders” (www.50climateleaders.com). The company’s inclusion, along with other business leaders, highlights how PMI views its ambitious business transformation through the lens of sustainability, managing the transition and impact on society and the environment.

“Businesses, both local and global, have a responsibility to create lasting and meaningful change to ensure the sustainability of this world,” said Huub Savelkouls, PMI’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Three years ago, PMI made a commitment to a future without cigarettes – a future without smoke – and we are transforming our business to achieve this goal as quickly as possible. Our vision for a world without cigarettes, and our corporate purpose, is to create a business that brings about positive social change and is therefore much more sustainable.”

The project 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders demonstrates the desire, leadership and willingness of the private sector to take effective action in the fight against climate change in six thematic areas: energy transition, climate finance and carbon pricing, industrial transition, nature-based solutions, cities and local actions, and resilience. The company's vision of a smoke-free future not only fits this desire, but also supports the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve this goal in a measurable and verifiable way, a set of transformation metrics was created: Business Transformation Metrics.

Today, an estimated 1.1 billion men and women worldwide smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products. PMI’s ambition is to have at least 301,000 of its customers who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to its smoke-free products by 2025. Based on this target, PMI projects that by the same time period, at least 40 million PMI cigarette smokers will have switched to these products. For PMI, sustainability means creating long-term value by minimizing the negative externalities associated with its products, operations and value chain.

Philip Morris Brazil (PMB) is involved in several sustainable initiatives in the country. For Guatimozin Santos, Institutional Relations Manager, the commitment to sustainability is a path of no return: “The private sector plays a crucial role in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals, developing concrete solutions and sustainable business models, through science, technology and innovation. Within our vision of a smoke-free future, we know that reducing our environmental impact and sustainably managing the planet’s limited resources is fundamental to our long-term growth.”

And there is no shortage of examples to illustrate this commitment: in Santa Cruz do Sul (RS), the PMB factory was the first in Brazil and Latin America to receive the certification granted by Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), based on international standards for the sustainable use of water. Since 2010, water consumption in the unit's manufacturing process has been reduced by 39%, with 13% in the last year alone. It is worth mentioning that one of the goals of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 (SDG 6).

Thanks to another partnership between the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC), the Rio Pardo River Basin Management Committee and the municipality of Vera Cruz (RS), the project “Protector of the Waters”, supported by PMB, aims to preserve water resources in the region. Around 60 small farmers are paid for their services in protecting the springs and banks of rivers located on their rural properties in the municipality of Vera Cruz. The result could not be better: the volume of water that was previously considered suitable for consumption jumped from 43% to 90% after the implementation of the Project in the region.

The program Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) brings a series of actions with the objective of helping farmers and family members to sustainably manage their properties, encouraging environmental preservation, increased productivity and crop diversification. The program addresses issues such as the relationship between agriculture and the environment, reducing carbon emissions, preserving water, conserving biodiversity and combating deforestation. The initiative reaches more than 5,000 producers in Brazil.