• Ali N. Karaman: “Philip Morris Misr is committed to fulfilling its social responsibility towards the environment in the local community while fostering environmental awareness as part of our business strategy”

Philip Morris Misr, a leading tobacco company and manufacturer of smoke-free alternatives, launched a campaign to clean up the Nile River as part of its social responsibility initiatives, which engaged a number of its employees and corporate leaders. The campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of protecting the Nile River from pollution and promoting environmental sustainability.

“We are committed to fulfilling our social responsibility by engaging in activities that serve the needs and requirements of the local communities,” said Ali N. Karaman, Managing Director of Philip Morris Egypt and Levant. “Philip Morris Misr is keen to organize annual events that promote environmental awareness as part of our corporate strategy, which is based on implementing and consolidating sustainability standards.”

The campaign included a variety of activities to collect waste from the Nile River and to raise awareness on proper waste disposal methods. Karaman added that the campaign aimed to shed lights on the negative impacts of water pollution, which can have serious consequences on marine life and human health. The initiative is in line with Philip Morris’s commitment towards implementing a comprehensive harm reduction strategy that supports a smoke-free future through offering adult smokers better alternatives to traditional cigarettes, while committing to safely dispose solid waste throughout the whole manufacturing processes.

Philip Morris International has recently obtained for the first time an advanced rank in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the oldest index that evaluates the performance of the most successful companies worldwide based on economic and environmental sustainability criteria.

In 2022, Philip Morris achieved major successes in the field of environmental protection, where the company received the highest possible rating, “Triple A,” from CDP, a global non-profit organization that specializes in evaluating the environmental efforts of large companies and institutions. CDP’s “Triple A” rating is the highest possible rating for a company’s performance in addressing climate change, protecting forests, and ensuring water security.

Over the past years, Philip Morris has strengthened its commitment towards environmental sustainability. In 2019, the company announced its plans to transform its plants to carbon neutral by 2030, relying on renewable energy sources in generating the required electricity for its manufacturing operations. The company has taken progressive steps in the recent years to achieve these goals, including installing wind turbines, solar panels, and deploying electric vehicle charging stations at its facilities. In addition to performing awareness related activities on proper disposal of cigarettes to avoid its harmful impact on the environment.