British American Tobacco plc
British American Tobacco became an Earthwatch corporate partner in 1990, and has been a long term supporter of Earthwatch's work.
Building on the foundations established by joining Earthwatch's Corporate Environmental Responsibility Group (CERG) and an Earthwatch review of British American Tobacco's environmental management in East Africa, a formal partnership including an employee fellowships programme and support of African capacity building was launched in 1999. This first step - working with an environmental NGO - led directly to the formation of the British American Tobacco Biodiversity Partnership, a multilateral partnership with leading environmental NGOs in 2000.
The first 5-year term of the Biodiversity Partnership supported major conservation initiatives of Fauna & Flora International and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (the Millennium Seed Bank), and capacity building programmes of the Tropical Biology Association and Earthwatch. British American Tobacco's capacity to manage its impacts on biodiversity was strengthened through employee engagement by Earthwatch and through projects on the ground with companies in tobacco growing countries.
The Biodiversity Partnership is now in its second five-year term (2006-2010). The partners (Fauna & Flora International, Earthwatch, Tropical Biology Association, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and British American Tobacco) have appointed an independent programme manager and developed a programme framework around three strategic priorities: protect and restore habitats and species and ensure sustainable use of natural resources (‘Places'); integrate biodiversity into the business (‘Process'); and build capacity of individuals and organisations (‘People'). One area of focus is development of biodiversity performance measures.
The programme achieves improved biodiversity conservation through support to NGO conservation projects and a strengthened and equal focus on embedding biodiversity in British American Tobacco operations. An independent Assurance Group reviews and assures programme delivery.
Partnership Elements
Stakeholder Involvement
The British American Tobacco Biodiversity Partnership has progressively increased its focus on building capacity and processes for improved management of the company's own biodiversity and environmental footprint. This relates especially to the company's influence over its agricultural and forestry supply chains. As a result of the work since 2006, British American Tobacco has published a Biodiversity Statement and developed a Biodiversity Risk and Opportunities Assessment process which is now mandatory for all its companies. This tool has been tested in Indonesia and Uganda and is now being rolled out to other operating companies.
Biodiversity issues have been incorporated into the road maps which British American Tobacco uses with suppliers to improve their environmental performance. A particular focus is on ensuring that farmers do not rely on wood from natural forests for curing tobacco.
Operating companies from across the world take part in annual workshops to get involved in biodiversity projects. The partnership is currently supporting projects in Chile, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Uganda, Indonesia and Pakistan, including conversion of eucalyptus plantations to natural forest, a green corridor and private nature reserve (in Brazil), conservation of watershed forest, collection and planting of native tree species, and investigation of agricultural impacts on biodiversity.
Employee Engagement
British American Tobacco and Earthwatch work together to offer 24 employees every year the opportunity to join Earthwatch research projects as part of the Employee Fellowships Programme. The 24 participants or fellows join relevant terrestrial biodiversity field projects for a two week period and are encouraged to implement their knowledge on their return. Each returning fellow is required to submit an idea for a biodiversity project in their own region and the Partnership offers a small grant as well as expert advice and support to kick-start their plans.
The Employee Fellowships are an integral part of British American Tobacco's efforts to raise awareness of biodiversity internally, enabling employees to consider biodiversity related issues in their decision making processes, appreciate the business case for biodiversity and inspire new ideas among employees leading to better biodiversity outcomes. By sharing their newly acquired knowledge, generating ideas and initiating their own local projects, employees can help to deliver the company's commitment to biodiversity and act as ‘biodiversity ‘ambassadors'.
Community Investment
British American Tobacco has been a major supporter of Earthwatch's capacity building programme, providing long-term support for African scientists and conservationists to benefit from training opportunities on Earthwatch research projects. Currently British American Tobacco funds 20 African Fellowships per year, and through them supports the institutions they work for, to deliver biodiversity conservation within their home countries and regions. There is also support for capacity building fellowships for conservationists and teachers on the Belarus Wetlands Biodiversity Education training course, and for Earthwatch's Malaysian Bats project, to provide training opportunities for young bat conservation researchers from across SE Asia.
Environmental Research
Through the Biodiversity Partnership British American Tobacco supports conservation and research projects of all the NGO partners especially where these are linked to tobacco growing countries or agricultural and forestry related themes. BAT funds have been particularly important in enabling Earthwatch to develop and launch the Mt Mulanje (Malawi) Ecological Monitoring Programme, with the Mt Mulanje Conservation Trust.