The WHO accuses the multinational tobacco industry of “Greenwashing” challenging the viability of businesses in a report issued in collaboration with the S.T.O.P. The WHO rejected the responsibility that the multinational tobacco industry is trying to show in terms of environmental sustainability without the corresponding social perspective. The finding mainly concerns BAT – British American Tobacco and PMI – Philip Morris International.
The “greenwashing” of companies where the WHO is referring to describes the external effort they make to present an environmentally sustainable face even when the industry rejects the purpose without yielding a sustainable multifaceted activity.
The viability of a business is expressed through three components, economic, social and environmental sustainability. Both economic and social and environmental sustainability compose the concise level of viability of each activity and the respective companies. The WHO refers to green laundering in published environmental precautionary measures and actions of Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, saying in the report that “This kind of activity gives the impression that the tobacco industry is socially and environmentally responsible. However, this industry causes incalculable health costs to smokers, non-smokers and farmers. “Smoke causes not only harm to humans but also to the environment.”, essentially undermining the viability of the multinational tobacco industry due to the area of their activity, saying critics have pointed out that many environmental, social and governance accreditations, such as those promoted by BAT and PMI on their websites, rarely address the product or service of a company, in this case, ignoring the fact that tobacco products are harmful to human health.
According to the WHO and the conclusion to its report the tobacco industry should not cooperate with guarantee boards and certification bodies when they will not be provided with the cooperation calling on governments involved in the framework agreement on tobacco control to obstruct such cooperation from taking effect. The WHO also stated in its conclusion that no relevant reward should be offered to the tobacco industry.
In a half-ambitious epilogue of recommendations and conclusions that is governed unilaterally by unworthiness and prejudice, and unequal treatment and evaluation, the WHO states that “Governments and the public around the world need to know that green laundering is on the rise and needs to be addressed,” Despite industry efforts to improve its image, tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of premature death and a major cause of environmental damage. Governments that are parties to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) also have an obligation to exclude industry from engaging in or influencing health policy, no matter how hard the industry tries to clear their image. The WHO and STOP call on all governments, especially those that are Parties to the WHO FCTC, to ban industry green-washing, as it is central to the so-called CSR and marketing campaigns in the industry, aimed at renaming it, which tends to bypass Article 5.3. The parties are obliged to terminate the corporate social responsibility of the industry under the FCTC of the WHO, therefore, unlike other industries, there is a mechanism that helps governments to prevent the green washing of the tobacco industry. We also call on environmental and sustainability accreditation bodies not to approve industry greenwashing or to confer awards to the tobacco industry. Finally, we call on civil society and governments to reject environmental partnerships with the tobacco industry that could be used to help the industry be portrayed as an environmental ally, to have a wider influence, or to circumvent FCTC Article 5.3 of the WHO. »
Philip Morris’s reaction: “Some well-funded anti-tobacco lobby groups with strong ties to the WHO are committed to closing the debate and closing the door on collaborative efforts that can lead to better outcomes for the world. We follow a different approach. Philip Morris International (PMI) is fully committed to full disclosure and encourages open and honest dialogue based on the facts with all stakeholders. The company regularly publishes updates on our sustainability goals and achievements at PMI.com/sustainability. “Our comprehensive report for 2020 shows the progress we are making towards a world without cigarettes.”
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