Inspiring Action through Empowerment
Michele Pisetta's Story
How Michele Pisetta's approach helped alignment helps approach to alignment helps accelerate Philip Morris International’s sustainability strategy
Michele Pisetta, is a senior manager focused on strategic design and operational implementation of environmental sustainability within Philip Morris International (PMI). Tasked with translating PMI’s ambitious sustainability goals into tangible action, Michele bridges the gap between theory and practice within the company.
About PMI
Philip Morris International (PMI) is one of the world’s leading tobacco companies. Led by science and innovation, and with the right regulatory encouragement and support from civil society, PMI is working to replace cigarettes with smoke-free products.
Sector: Tobacco product producer /nFMCG
Geography: Headquartered in the USA with global operations and multiple brands
Employees: 82,000+ globally
Website: www.pmi.com
Challenges
faced
Michele Pisetta is a senior manager in PMI’s Operations Sustainability Department. Here, he is focusing on strategic design and operational implementation of environmental sustainability within Philip Morris International (PMI).
He translates complex sustainability challenges and opportunities into actionable business practices. Reaching alignment between stakeholders with differing levels of knowledge on sustainability is a trademark of the role.
The fast-evolving sustainability landscape, as well as jargony sustainability-language can be daunting to stakeholders who may not be comfortable with the topic.
Michele and his team overcome this challenge and continue to accelerate change by aligning stakeholders – including colleagues and suppliers.
Actions
taken
Michele was one of the subject-matter experts behind PMI’s Low Carbon Transition Plan, which details the steps the company is taking to reach its SBTi-validated target for net-zero emissions by 2040.
He was also one of the architects of PMI’s Zero Deforestation Manifesto, which lays out its aspiration to maintaining Zero gross deforestation of primary and protected forest associated with the tobacco supply chain as well as its commitment to Zero gross deforestation of primary and protected forest associated with the supply chain of paper and pulp-based materials by 2025.
These strategic initiatives require active buy in and engagement from many functions internally, as well as with suppliers externally.
Michele’s approach to fostering sustainable action within PMI and with these stakeholders began with seemingly small, everyday actions.
He started building trust, one conversation at a time, in key meetings and casual chats. Recognizing that the concept of sustainability can often be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with it, Michele made it his mission to simplify complex issues and make solutions accessible to all.
He maintains an open dialogue, acknowledging when he doesn’t have all the answers, and establishes a collaborative environment where problems can be tackled as a community.
Michele actively encourages questions from internal teams and external partners, seeing them as an opportunity for learning and collaboration across the company.
Resonance
of impact
Michele’s approach to embracing honesty and vulnerability creates a safe space for open dialogue and encourages colleagues to be transparent about their own challenges, ultimately leading to more effective solutions.
This approach supports a company-wide embrace of sustainability as a key aspect of PMI’s operations.
Michele’s actions resonate beyond the confines of his office. The results?
Through the Low Carbon Transition Plan PMI has enabled action on climate resulting in a 36% absolute reduction of scope 1&2 CO2e emissions versus its 2019 baseline; and 13% absolute reduction in CO2e across scopes 1,2, and 3 versus the 2019 baseline.
Through the Zero Deforestation Manifesto, over the past three years, 100% of the tobacco PMI purchased has been at no risk of gross deforestation of primary and protected forests – among its other achievements.
Behind this progress and these strategies are clear approaches to internal collaboration, alignment and development.