Written by
Huub Savelkouls, Chief Sustainability Officer *
I write in response to the recent article in Responsible Investor by Alan J. Brown and Dr. Rachel Melsom, regarding Philip Morris International (PMI) and our Statement of Purpose. I write both to correct factual errors made by Mr. Brown and Dr. Melsom in their comments, but also in the spirit of fostering dialogue among all those passionate about advancing socially responsible investing. Solution-driven discussions are quite naturally rooted to a large degree in healthy skepticism; however, such skepticism cannot exclude facts and must embrace an often-intense debate amongst all actors willing and able to put solutions on the table.
* Jennifer Motles succeeded Huub Savelkouls as Chief Sustainability Officer on November 1, 2020, following Mr. Savelkouls’ retirement from PMI.