Big Tobacco: we're listening

Whenever Big Tobacco gets a mention on this blog someone often pipes up and complains that the companies don't do enough for the consumer. Or, if they do, they fail to communicate it. Sometimes, BT is even blamed for the smoking ban!

Last year I was invited by Imperial Tobacco to join an "independent stakeholder panel" to assess the company's Corporate Responsibility Review.

Conscious that I am not a smoker (although I am fairly well-versed on what a broad cross-section of smokers think), I suggested that the panel also include a consumer whose views I have come to trust and respect. An accredited psychotherapist and trainer, working in private practice and for the NHS, she has also worked as a writer, editor and consultant outside the therapy world. Readers of Taking Liberties will be familiar with the name because Rose Whiteley often comments on this blog.

The stakeholder panel met twice. To ensure our independence, meetings were facilitated by a company specialising in global corporate responsibility. Bearing in mind that there were eight panellists representing a variety of stakeholders (including investors and the media), I think Rose and I managed to represent the consumer reasonably well.

Credit too to Imperial whose representatives were very responsive to the points we made. You can judge from these extracts which appear in the Review, published last month:

The [Stakeholder] Panel recommended that an account be given of how Imperial Tobacco approaches contentious issues through its CR [corporate responsibility] programme. This should clarify for the reader the Company’s priority issues and approaches, and should set out an over-arching position statement on smoking, health and consumer choice. In particular, some felt that the Review could do more to speak up for the consumers of Imperial’s products.

Imperial's response:

We recognise that we could be more assertive in our response to contentious issues and that there is greater opportunity to align our position with that of the consumer. This will be something to consider going forward.

Overall, the document continues, the Panel felt that the Review provides good coverage of the key issues of interest and relevance to stakeholders. However, there were three areas where more information could be given:

The first concerned Imperial Tobacco’s involvement in public policy debate. The consensus among the Panel was that the Company does proactively engage in discussions on regulation and the future of the tobacco industry when it is possible. However, sometimes Imperial Tobacco’s participation in such debate is blocked.

In order to communicate the Company’s commitment to engagement, and the challenges faced, the Panel recommended that the Review contains an upfront statement explaining the issues related to the tobacco industry’s role in shaping and responding to public policy.

Imperial's response:

We agree that it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain positive dialogue with all stakeholders. Along with other tobacco manufacturers, we are increasingly being excluded from engaging with regulators on regulatory proposals. We believe that regulators should draw on our commercial and technical knowledge and expertise when they are considering tobacco regulation. We will continue to seek constructive and effective dialogue with regulatory authorities and to work with them to develop proportionate and workable regulations ...

We understand that the Panel asked us to be more assertive in our positioning as a legitimate business that manufactures and distributes a legal product. We have sought to address this within the Introduction and through further communication of our corporate positions, many of which are on our website. We will give this further consideration.

To read more Stakeholder Panel comments click HERE. To view or download the complete Corporate Responsibility Review click HERE.

Rose and I have been invited to reprise our roles for this year's Review. If there are any issues you want me to raise I suggest you comment here or email Forest direct.