Environment

Environment

Environmental issues are of increasing societal concern and have brought many challenges to our society. Today we are facing the consequences of climate change such as melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and changing weather patterns. We all need to address these issues and, as a global organization, we recognize that we have a key role to play in reducing our environmental impact.

As with most industries, the environment has a direct impact on our business. We also know that our operations impact the environment, through resource usage, emissions, and waste generation, and we strive to minimize this impact.

By implementing sustainable business practices, we are able to conserve resources, protect biodiversity, reduce waste, manage costs, and meet the growing consumer demand for more sustainable products - bringing benefits to both the environment and our business.

This approach is explained in the JT Group Environment Policy.

Environment and our operations

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In setting specific goals and initiatives for ‘the JT Group Sustainability Targets’, we placed importance on the relationships and ties with the revised materiality, while also including past initiatives. In pursuing our materiality ‘Living with the Planet’, we set targets related to environmental issues.
Please refer to the following for targets related to ‘Living with the Planet’.

Read more about the JT Group Sustainability Targets and 2024 Results.

  • * While on May 7th, 2025, the Company announced entering into an agreement with Shionogi & Co., Ltd to transfer the pharmaceutical business and our stake in TORII PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. ("Torii"), a consolidated subsidiary of JT, the JT Group's performance and initiatives described on this page include those associated with the pharmaceutical business and Torii. Please see the press releases on our website for the details
Materiality Target topics Targets
Biodiversity impact assessment Each of the JT Group businesses will perform assessments to evaluate its impact and dependency on ecosystem, including biodiversity aspects. Impact assessments of our tobacco business will be performed by 2024, and our pharmaceutical and processed food business by 2025.
Emissions reduction The JT Group will reduce its emissions and commits to be Carbon Neutral for its own operations by 2030 and achieve Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
  • By 2030, we commit to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 47% in line with a 1.5℃ reduction pathway against a 2019 base year
  • By 2030, we commit to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions associated with purchased goods and services (Category 1) by 28% against a 2019 base year
  • Our tobacco business commits to be Carbon Neutral for its own operations by 2030 and will achieve Net-Zero GHG emissions across its entire value chain by 2050. In support of this, our tobacco business will

    • reduce Non-FLAG* emissions from its own operations (Scope 1 & 2) by 47% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050 against a 2019 base year
    • reduce Scope 3 Category 1 Non-FLAG emissions by 28% by 2030 and reduce Scope 3 All Category Non-FLAG emissions by 90% by 2050 against a 2019 base year
    • reduce Scope 3 Category 1 FLAG emissions by 33.3% by 2030 and by 72% by 2050 against a 2019 base year
  • Our processed food business will promote energy-saving initiatives and introduce renewable energy to contribute to the Group’s emissions reduction targets and to improve impact on environment

*FLAG: The Forest, Land, and Agriculture sector. FLAG-related GHG emissions include emissions originating from forestry, land-use, agriculture, and other land-based activities

Renewable electricity 2050, the JT Group will transition all of our energy use to zero carbon energy.
  • We will increase the proportion of renewable electricity that we use to 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. In our tobacco business, 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2040
Protecting water The JT Group will engage in responsible water management and will pursue the following:
  • We will monitor the Group’s use of water in areas with water scarcity. Our tobacco business will reduce water withdrawal in its own operations by 33% by 2030 against a 2019 base year. Our processed food business will pursue efficient water use and wastewater quality management to preserve water stewardship as a member of the local community
  • We will monitor water recycling at the Group’s production facilities
  • We will prevent water pollution based on the Group’s standards, which should be equal to or stricter than local legal requirements
  • Our tobacco business will have 100% of its eligible production facilities certified against the Alliance for Water Stewardship* standard by 2030
Enhancing biodiversity - No deforestation, no conversion With a view to enhancing biodiversity, the JT Group will contribute further to preserving forestry by pursuing the following in our tobacco business supply chain:
  • No deforestation of natural forests in the operations and supply chains for tobacco leaf, paper and pulp-based materials by 2025 and in our entire supply chain by 2030
  • No conversion of natural ecosystem in the tobacco business’ own operations and supply chains for tobacco, paper and pulp-based materials in high conservation value areas by 2025 and all natural lands by 2030
  • Zero net deforestation of managed natural forests in the entire tobacco business supply chain by 2030
Waste reduction The JT Group will further reduce the environmental impacts of waste associated with its processes and products.
  • Zero factory waste to landfill by 2030 in our tobacco business
  • Our tobacco business will engage trade and consumers on responsible disposal of devices through take-back schemes for Ploom, and through anti-littering campaigns for consumables
  • Our processed food business will pursue waste reduction to contribute to a circular society and will aim to recycle 95% of all waste from its Japanese offices (excluding waste heat recovery)

Designing for circularity - Packaging, product and device The JT Group will reduce our packaging (including plastic) and ensure that the remaining is 88% reusable or recyclable by 2025, rising to 100% by 2030.
  • Our tobacco business will reduce packaging and achieve 85% recyclability by 2025, rising to 100% by 2030
  • In total, recycled content will account for 20% of our tobacco business packaging by 2025. The tobacco business will seek to further increase the use of recycled materials in its packaging
  • In our tobacco business, plastic in our packaging mix is only 7% by weight. The tobacco business will aim to further reduce the use of virgin plastic in its packaging. We are also working to develop more sustainable filter alternatives
  • Our tobacco business will take a phased approach in embedding learnings in its circular device development globally, by achieving battery removability & replaceability for 100% of its RRP* devices shipped to the EU by 2027
  • Our processed food business will reduce packaging weight and utilize renewable plant-based resources to reduce environmental impact of its products

*RRP (Reduced-Risk Products): Products with the potential to reduce the risks associated with smoking

Sustainable agriculture Our tobacco business will complete the elimination of Criterion 1 Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) from its direct tobacco leaf supply chain in 2024 and eliminate the use of all HHPs by 2040. 100% of our directly-contracted growers will have adopted Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Protocol of our tobacco business by 2030.


Internal and external collaboration To promote collaborations within the Group across regions and functions, we will provide opportunities for collaborations while also proactively engage in collaborating with external parties to contribute to the development of inclusive and sustainable communities. Between 2015 and 2030, our employees will contribute 300,000 volunteering hours.
Community investment Between 2015 and 2030 we will invest US$600 million to help make communities inclusive and resilient, with our employees contributing 300,000 volunteering hours.

Read more on our environmental initiatives on the following pages.

  • Climate Change
  • Biodiversity, Water, Forestry, Sustainable agriculture
  • Waste, Packaging & Circularity

For details of other initiatives, please see the Community investment.