The award marks the first time BAT Vietnam has been honoured by Nhip Cau Dau Tu – a magazine specialising in business and investment that hosts the awards.

The judges included representatives from reputable enterprises and organisations such as HSBC, Deloitte, PwC Vietnam, the Institute for Circular Economy Development, TalentNet, VinaCapital, and Schneider Electric Vietnam.

BAT Vietnam won the 2023 'Pioneer in Waste Reduction' category, one of the most prestigious awards presented.

The company is committed to putting sustainable development front and centre in all of its activities, focusing on excellence in environmental management, positive social impact, and robust corporate governance.

BAT Vietnam has achieved significant results in the environmental sector by entirely converting to LED lighting at its two joint-venture factories in Vietnam; using a biomass boiler, investing in a 1Mwp rooftop solar power system; improving the management of its energy reduction schemes and converting to green energy sources which has helped BAT reduce annual average energy use by 10 per cent and reduce CO2 emissions by 2,115 tonnes compared to 2018; reaching zero waste to landfill at the two factories, and recycling more than 99 per cent of waste.

All of this has helped BAT reduce annual average energy use by 10 per cent and reduce CO2 emissions by 2,115 tonnes compared to 2018; reaching zero waste to landfill at the two factories, and recycling more than 99 per cent of waste.

In April, BAT’s factory in the southern province of Dong Nai was awarded a carbon-neutral (Scope 1 and 2) certificate after rigorous testing carried out by the Totum Institute from Brazil.

BAT Vietnam’s sustainability goals are well aligned with the common aims of the Vietnamese government to work with the business community to contribute to the National Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 according to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

Speaking at the event, Do Hoang Anh, BAT Vietnam’s head of Legal and External Affairs, said, “To be named for the first time at Nhip Cau Dau Tu's Corporate Sustainability Awards is a tremendous honour for us.”

“This is valuable proof of our commitment to sustainable development in Vietnam. For each and every pillar of our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) approach, we create a clear roadmap with measurable goals, and the ability to monitor the realisation of these goals thoroughly and consistently," Anh added.

The awards help provide data on sustainable development, which in turn helps the government and relevant social organisations to come up with practical policies to support businesses.

They also contribute to Vietnam’s commitment made at COP26 to reduce net emissions to ‘zero’ by 2050, and to activities responding to climate change, especially in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, smart water, and natural resource management.

In December last year, BAT Vietnam was named 12^th in the ‘Top 100 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam’.

This was also the fourth time in seven years that BAT Vietnam has been in the ‘Top 100 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam’, held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development, and others.

At BAT, sustainable development has been at the centre of the Group’s business activities and core values over the decades.

After nearly 30 years in the country, BAT Vietnam is now one of many sustainable and successful international businesses in the market thanks to the company maintaining and embracing its commitment to sustainable development, and showing great progress in each pillar of the ESG initiatives.