Change in motion

“Change in motion” captures the reality that transformation is not a project with a defined end date; it is the continuous work of improvement, innovation, and adaptation that keeps us relevant and resilient. We do not transform once and declare victory. We transform continuously because markets evolve, science advances, stakeholder expectations rise, and new opportunities emerge. Motion implies momentum, direction, and purpose—building on each success, learning from each challenge, and maintaining the drive that propels us forward.

This is who we are: A company perpetually in motion toward a better future. We embed environmental, social, and financial value into our core decisions. This focus guides us to direct resources to what matters most: Reducing the harm caused by smoking and building competitive advantages in smoke‑free products while respecting environmental and social boundaries. By weaving these priorities into investments, planning, and performance measures, we ensure immediate progress and long‑term resilience. Yet our progress also depends on the broader system: Progressive regulation, harm-reduction public health policies, scientific consensus on alternatives, and consumer acceptance of new products.

Acknowledging what lies within and beyond our sphere of influence is not a limitation but a foundation for effective action. It enables transparency about where we can deliver change directly versus what requires collective effort. It creates space for diverse actors—governments, public health authorities, civil society, and the scientific community—to contribute their unique capabilities toward shared objectives. And it grounds our strategy in reality—shaping how we set priorities, measure progress, and engage those who will play a critical role in our transformation’s success.

Making cigarettes obsolete: our sphere of influence

Our vision to make cigarettes obsolete is both a societal imperative and our most significant business opportunity. While we control what products we develop, how we market them, and where we deploy them, we do not control regulatory frameworks, competitive dynamics, consumer preferences, or the actions of governments and civil society.

This is why our sphere of influence matters. We invest billions in R&D to develop better alternatives and scientifically substantiate their harm reduction potential, and we make these less harmful alternatives increasingly accessible and affordable to adult smokers and nicotine users. But we cannot unilaterally end cigarette sales. Without adequate regulatory frameworks and accessible alternatives, consumption could shift to illicit markets or other manufacturers’ products, yielding no public health benefit and abandoning adult smokers who lack better options. We support the introduction of supply and demand measures that build on smoking-cessation efforts and drive large‑scale consumer switching as quickly as possible for those who don’t quit. Read more on [PMI.com].

We work within our sphere of influence by demonstrating—through concrete actions and transparent metrics—our commitment to transformation, even when it means cannibalizing our legacy business. We advocate for evidence‑based regulation that can accelerate adoption of smoke‑free alternatives while preventing underage access. We are willing to collaborate with public health authorities, including those who disagree with our harm-reduction approach, because transformation requires diverse voices and perspectives. And we measure progress through Business Transformation Metrics that hold us accountable on this journey and create transparency about where we succeed and where systemic barriers slow our progress.

Maximizing access to smoke‑free products: The science of nicotine and harm reduction

Our second strategic priority centers on accelerating adult‑smoker conversion to smoke-free products through our “Access” framework: Making our products available in more markets, ensuring their affordability for diverse income levels, increasing awareness of their availability and benefits versus smoking, building acceptability through a multi‑category portfolio, and advancing advocacy for regulatory frameworks that facilitate transformation while protecting public health.

Importantly, this framework includes our commitment to promoting and encouraging transparent research on nicotine science, separating the effects of nicotine alone from the harmful act of smoking and advancing scientific understanding of harm reduction.

Beyond smoke‑free: Exploring adjacent avenues of growth in wellness

As we build on the foundation of our smoke‑free transformation, we are establishing pathways beyond smoke‑free products into wellness—an area that complements our harm-reduction mission and leverages our scientific capabilities, regulatory expertise, and consumer insights. This is not a departure from our smoke‑free strategy but a natural evolution that diversifies our business model beyond nicotine products entirely.

While our focus remains on making cigarettes obsolete through smoke‑free alternatives, these adjacent avenues represent the next horizon—opportunities to apply what we have learned about transformation, stakeholder engagement, and harm reduction to new challenges in consumer wellness.