Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Philip Morris International (PMI) has been recognized among Forbes’ top Net Zero Leaders for 2025 for the third consecutive year, ranking fourth in the prestigious list.
The accolade reflects PMI’s ongoing commitment to climate action and sustainable business practices, built on years of focused efforts across its global operations. What sets this recognition apart is how it highlights the company’s holistic approach: Integrating environmental stewardship with business transformation.
Decarbonization at PMI is not an add-on or side project; it lies at the core of how the company builds operational resilience, drive innovation, and create long-term value.
Dual impact
From investing in renewable energy to optimizing supply chains, PMI’s sustainability initiatives deliver a dual impact: Reducing our environmental footprint while strengthening competitive positioning.
This balance of purpose and performance is a clear example of what sustainable business leadership looks like in practice.
Forbes’ Net Zero Leaders list is based on real, measurable progress, assessing companies on governance, strategy, metrics, financial strength, and transparency of non-financial reporting.
PMI’s continued presence in the list underlines its consistent and rigorous approach to reducing emissions and environmental footprint.
“Our sustainability strategy remains deeply integrated with our business transformation,” explained Jennifer Motles, Chief Sustainability Officer at PMI.
“It is a catalyst for building operational resilience, driving innovation, and creating long-term value. Initiatives such as our investment in renewable energy and supply chain optimization are grounded in data, transparency, and an ambition to strengthen both our environmental performance and our competitive position.”
“This recognition is a testament to the progress we’re making not just globally, but also here in the Middle East. Our regional efforts are aligned with PMI’s global ambition to achieve net zero, and we are proud to contribute through localized initiatives that reflect the unique environmental and cultural context of our markets.” Commented Monica Barten, Communications Director, Philip Morris Management Services (Middle East) Ltd.
“Our initiatives here in the Middle East, such as the Consumables Take Back Program in Dubai and Kuwait, along with our World is Not an Ashtray education initiative, demonstrates our proactive stance in reducing the environmental impacts of our products across the region. Moreover, our operational strategies focus on minimizing environmental footprint and fostering a culture of sustainability among employees, emphasizing the importance of understanding, and protecting local biodiversity and managing post-consumer waste.”
This distinction complements growing external recognition of PMI’s sustainability performance and reporting, including:
Inclusion in CDP’s Supplier Engagement Leader Board for the seventh year (announced March 2024)
Achievement of CDP’s Triple A rating for the fourth consecutive year—placing PMI among the world’s leading companies in environmental transparency and action (announced February 2024)
Early Adopter of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework (as of January 2024)
Inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) for the first time and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Composite Index for the fourth consecutive year (index inclusion effective as of Dec. 18, 2023), in addition to being awarded “Prime” status in the ISS ESG Corporate Rating (ISS ESG Rating as of Nov. 21, 2023)
Validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) on its Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions reduction targets, making PMI one of very few companies to achieve this recognition (as of August 2023)
Philip Morris International: A Global Smoke-Free Champion
Philip Morris International is a leading international consumer goods company, actively delivering a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, nicotine pouch and e-vapor products. As of December 31, 2024, PMI’s smoke-free products were available for sale in 95 markets, and PMI estimates they were used by 38.6 million adults around the world. The smoke-free business accounted for 42% of PMI’s first-quarter 2025 total net revenues. Since 2008, PMI has invested over $14 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioral research, as well as post-market studies.
Following a robust science-based review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the marketing of Swedish Match’s General snus and ZYN nicotine pouches and versions of PMI’s IQOS devices and consumables – the first-ever such authorizations in their respective categories. Versions of IQOS devices and consumables and General snus also obtained the first-ever Modified Risk Tobacco Product authorizations from the FDA. With a strong foundation and significant expertise in life sciences, PMI has a long-term ambition to expand into wellness and healthcare areas and aims to enhance life through the delivery of seamless health experiences. References to “PMI”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean Philip Morris International Inc., and its subsidiaries.
Philip Morris International named in the top 5 of Forbes’ 2025 Net Zero Leaders List
