Projects include water resource management, carbon offsetting and promoting biodiversity on small farms
On World Environment Day, Philip Morris Brazil (PMB) reiterates its involvement in the country in diverse projects, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of its business, benefiting the tobacco production chain and the communities where it operates. Among these actions, the water management carried out by the cigarette factory in Santa Cruz do Sul (RS) is one of the highlights: the unit is the first in the world to obtain recertification by Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), in the 2.0 standard.
PMB had already been certified by AWS for the first time in Brazil and Latin America in 2018. This year, with the progress made and the achievement of more ambitious goals, the recertification confirmed the company's commitment to using water resources sustainably in its production. Since 2010, water consumption in the unit's manufacturing process was reduced by 57%.
AWS also considers initiatives that certified companies maintain with the community, including the preservation of watersheds and the needs of the surrounding community. In this field, the highlight is Project Protector of the Waters, a partnership that PMB has with the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC), the Rio Pardo Hydrographic Basin Management Committee and the municipality of Vera Cruz.
The goal is to ensure the preservation of water resources by paying farmers for environmental services to protect the springs and banks of rivers located on their rural properties. Currently, 66 small producers are registered and, since its implementation, the project has positively impacted more than 23,000 people in the urban and rural areas of Vera Cruz. As a main result, the volume of water considered suitable for consumption, in Arroio Andreas, which is part of the Rio Pardo Basin, jumped from 43% to 90%.
Carbon neutralization and biodiversity
This attention to the environment is part of a global sustainability strategy, based on four pillars: business transformation, aiming for a smoke-free future; operational excellence, through responsible action, with a focus on ethics and respect for human rights; social impact management, with the promotion of health, safety and adequate working conditions throughout the production chain; and reducing environmental impact, which includes actions to neutralize carbon emissions by 2030, reduce waste generation, promote biodiversity and preserve natural resources.
“As we move forward with the transformation of our business, we know that reducing our environmental impact and sustainably managing the planet’s limited resources is fundamental to our long-term growth. Now, more than ever, it is time for companies and society to work together to build a sustainable future,” he said. Guatimozin Santos, Institutional Relations Manager at Philip Morris Brazil.
In partnership with Embrapa Clima Temperado, PMB is also developing two projects that benefit small properties in the Southern Region of Brazil. The most recent, Auéra Project, implemented since October 2019, is a pioneering initiative in promoting the preservation of biodiversity within the scope of family rural production. More than five thousand farmers who are partners of PMB in the states of Santa Catarina, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul participate in the initiative, which carries out a socio-environmental diagnosis of tobacco-producing properties, defines sustainability indicators to be monitored, training actions and an intervention plan aimed at recovering degraded areas and protecting biodiversity (fauna and flora).
O Organic Fruit Gardens Project, in turn, has been developed since 2018, valuing principles of ecologically based agricultural production, addressing cultural, ethnic, environmental, food, economic and medicinal issues. In 2019, a total of 100 properties in 25 municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná were covered by the program, with the distribution of fruit and vegetable seedlings, chosen based on their nutritional and medicinal characteristics, as well as their adaptation to the region's soil and climate. This partnership between PMB and Embrapa Clima Temperado was renewed for 2020, guaranteeing the planting of at least 100 more backyards this year.
About Philip Morris Brazil
Philip Morris International (PMI) affiliate that is leading the transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and replace cigarettes with smoke-free products, for the benefit of adults who would otherwise smoke, society, the company and investors. A leader in the tobacco market, dedicated to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, tobacco heating products, electronic devices and accessories, Philip Morris Brazil has been operating in the country for 45 years. The company is leading a transformation in the sector to create a smoke-free future, replacing cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. With multidisciplinary development areas, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific evidence, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements, for the benefit of society, the company and its shareholders. PMI's portfolio includes heated tobacco and nicotine-containing products. As of March of this year, PMI estimates that approximately 10.6 million adult smokers worldwide have quit smoking and switched to its heated tobacco product, IQOS, which is currently available for sale in more than 53 markets. For more information, visit the websites of PMI, PMIScience It is www.pmi.com/markets/brazil/pt/
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