British American Tobacco loses its carbon neutral certification in Australia

The Australian government has been forced to revoke the "carbon neutral" certification granted to cigarette maker British American Tobacco after the approval was found to be contrary to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), to which Australia is a party.

Freedom of Information documents show that the chief executive of the Carbon Reduction Institute, Rob Cawthorne, filed a complaint with the Department of Health last August about British American Tobacco (BAT), which has received Climate Active certification.[1].

Climate Active, a government-backed carbon neutrality certification scheme, is run by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. It offers certifications to organizations that can demonstrate they are making efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. These organizations can then use the certification mark in their communications.

Tobacco has a deleterious impact on the environment from production to consumption

Becky Freeman, a professor of public health and tobacco control specialist, said the certification only serves to " polish the tarnished reputation of an industry that kills more than 8 million people worldwide each year ", she adds that " Harmful industries should never be eligible for government support ".

From cultivation, drying, and transportation to consumption and associated waste, tobacco contributes significantly to the depletion and pollution of soils and waterways. It is responsible for excessive water consumption, deforestation, and contributes to climate change. Thus, the tobacco industry's activities are fundamentally contrary and irreconcilable with the UN's sustainable development goals.

A communication opportunity for the tobacco manufacturer

The documents show that after being informed of the complaint, the Ministry of Health's Director of Tobacco Control informed the Ministry of Industry that promoting the tobacco industry's "carbon-neutral" activities could be perceived as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and that government approval, contrary to the FCTC, would provide a communication opportunity for the manufacturer. The FCTC stipulates, among other things, through its Articles 5.3 and 13 that public health policies must be protected from the influence of the tobacco industry and that all forms of advertising (including the tobacco industry's CSR activities) are prohibited.

The concept of "CSR" is one of the pillars of the tobacco industry in its image and promotion strategy for its new products. It aims to reach new audiences, particularly political decision-makers. For nearly 15 years, BAT has published "reports on its commitments to sustainable development" on its website, in which the manufacturer details for various stakeholders (decision-makers, consumers, shareholders, journalists, etc.) how the company plans to place the concept of "sustainability" at the forefront of its objectives in order to achieve carbon neutrality. This communication is part of the manufacturer's objective of reaching 50 million consumers of its new products by 2030.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

Keywords: British American Tobacco, Australia, certification, carbon neutrality, greenwashing, environment, WHO, FCTC,

[1] Melissa Davey, Australia breaches WHO treaty with carbon neutral certification of big tobacco company, The Guardian, published October 19, 2023, accessed October 24, 2023