Annual report 2010 - Imperial Tobacco Group

Corporate Responsibility continuedOur Business ContextOur responsible approach underpinsour sustainable sales growth strategy.Strategy Performance Governance FinancialsWe have 38,000 employees, 51 manufacturing sites andconsumers enjoy our products in over 160 markets.Governments, investors and employees and a wide range ofother stakeholders benefit economically through the wealthcreated by our business. In 2010 we paid over £20 billionto governments around the world in the form of excise andother taxes.Our activities are multi-faceted and include tobacco leafprocurement and processing, product manufacturing,distribution and responsible sales and marketing. We sourcetobacco from countries including Brazil, India, China, Tanzaniaas well as many others in Africa, South America, Asia, NorthAmerica and Europe.Our supply chain involves tens of thousands of people.It includes tobacco growers and merchants, logistic andtransport providers, machinery suppliers, utility and serviceproviders, material suppliers, wholesalers, large commercialand individual retailers and tobacconists.We continue to grow and develop our business in aresponsible manner. In doing so we both comply with andexceed current regulatory standards as we apply our owncorporate standards, sharing best practice within our widersupply chain and within our business.We recognise the controversial nature of our productand believe it is important that it is handled by aresponsible business.Our views on important issues for the tobacco industryincluding smoking and health and the research anddevelopment of tobacco products are based on thework of a number of experts in their field, academicsand scientists and practising physicians.Our views are available on our websitewww.imperial-tobacco.com.Our Employees WorldwideOver £20 billion waspaid to governmentsaround the world inthe form of excise andother taxes.AmericasEU25%45%30%Rest of theWorld42