The Industry Carbon Pledge: How Serious Are Nicotine Companies About Climate?
PMI pledges carbon neutrality by 2030. BAT has science-based targets. The pledges are real investments. They're also strategies for legitimacy. The nicotine industry's climate commitments reveal the complexity of corporate transformation.
PMI's carbon-neutral pledge is independently verified, includes Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, and involves real investments in renewable energy and supply-chain transformation. It is also a strategy for maintaining legitimacy—for convincing investors, regulators, and the public that the company is part of the solution. **Both interpretations are true. The carbon reductions are real. The legitimacy strategy is real. The question is whether the net effect—reduced emissions from a company whose product kills people—is progress or greenwashing.**
