2020 press releases
Look back at what happened
Press releases
Read the latest statements and press releases from BAT and announcements about our key campaigns. If you need to contact our media relations team, please visit the Media contacts page.
BAT progresses COVID-19 candidate vaccine into Phase I human clinical trials
BAT’s US Bio-tech arm, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP) today announced plans to commence a Phase I first-time-in-human study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate following approval of its Investigational New Drug application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Enrolment for the study is expected to begin shortly.
Read more >BAT launches tobacco industry-first Human Rights Report
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) has today become the first tobacco company to publish a Human Rights Report. The report coincides with UN Human Rights Day and highlights the company’s commitment and actions to protect human rights across its global business and supply chain. BAT has also announced a commitment to aim for zero child labour in its agricultural supply chain by 2025.
Read more >2020 Second Half Pre-close Trading Update
Transforming, investing and growing. Trading update - ahead of closed period commencing 1st January 2021.
Read more >BAT awarded A-score and named in top 200 ‘A List’ companies for climate change action
The BAT Group (BAT) has today announced it has been given an ‘A’ score for climate change and has been included as an ‘A List Company’ by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). BAT is one of only 200 organisations selected from nearly 6,000 applicants for inclusion in the prestigious listing.
Read more >British American Tobacco announces Board appointment
Darrell Thomas will join the Board of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) as an independent Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit and Nominations Committees with effect from 7th December 2020.
Read more >BAT recognised as a Financial Times Diversity Leader for second consecutive year
The BAT Group (BAT) has been named as a Diversity Leader by the Financial Times for a second consecutive year. The prestigious FT Diversity Leaders report recognises the top 850 companies across 16 European countries that have achieved a diverse and inclusive workplace. It assesses key areas including: Gender balance; sexual orientation; and a workforce comprised of an ethnic and social mix that reflects wider society.
Read more >BAT named in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 19th consecutive year
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) has been named in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the 19th consecutive year and, once again, is the only tobacco company to be included in the prestigious DJSI World Index.
Read more >New study finds that smokers switching exclusively to glo significantly reduce their exposure to certain toxicants, potentially reducing risk of smoking-related disease
New research by BAT has found that smokers who switched completely from smoking cigarettes to using BAT’s flagship tobacco heating product (THP), glo, substantially reduced their exposure to certain cigarette smoke toxicants over three months.
Read more >BAT strengthens its US New Category portfolio: Announces acquisition of Dryft Modern Oral business
British American Tobacco p.l.c. today announces that the US business of the BAT Group (BAT) has acquired the nicotine pouch product assets of Dryft Sciences, LLC (Dryft), a US-based Modern Oral nicotine product company.
Read more >BAT to appoint new Chairman
We are pleased to announce that Luc Jobin will succeed Richard Burrows as Chairman of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT). This will take effect from the conclusion of the Company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 28 April 2021 and, in order to ensure an effective transition of the leadership of the Board, Mr Jobin will be appointed as Chairman Designate of BAT effective 1 March 2021.
Read more >2020 Annual General Meeting – Voting Results Update Statement
At the Company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 30 April 2020 all resolutions were passed with the requisite majority of votes, however we acknowledged the vote against received in respect of Resolution 2 ‐ Directors’ Remuneration Report and Resolution 15 ‐ Renewal of Directors' Authority to Allot Shares in our AGM voting results announcement, which has been noted on the UK Investment Association (IA) register of shareholder votes.
Read more >BAT advocates for a collaborative, stakeholder-inclusive approach to accelerate tobacco harm reduction
BAT Chief Marketing Officer, Kingsley Wheaton, today called for meaningful change in the way that global tobacco and nicotine policies are developed. He stressed the need for a United Nations-style “whole of society” approach to policy development and emphasised the benefits that this more stakeholder-inclusive, tobacco-harm-reduction approach could deliver.
Read more >BAT announces appointment of Dr Hutan Ashrafian as Chief Medical Officer
Appointment supports BAT’s commitment to underpinning New Category products with world class science and reducing the health impact of its combustibles business
Read more >British American Tobacco announces Board appointment
Karen Guerra will join the Board of British American Tobacco p.l.c. as an independent Non-Executive Director and member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committees with effect from 14 September 2020.
Read more >BAT completes PMTA submissions for the broadest portfolio in the U.S.
BAT’s US subsidiary, Reynolds America Inc (Reynolds), has today filed its final Pre-Market Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) submissions with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow its VUSE and VELO brands to remain on the market in the United States.
Read more >BAT resumes sales in South Africa
LONDON – 19 AUGUST 2020: The South African government has ended its near five-month ban on the sale of tobacco products. The decision was announced by the South African President on Saturday, as part of the government’s decision to move from Lockdown Level 3 to Level 2.
Read more >British American Tobacco (“BAT”) announces new President for US business, Reynolds American
Ricardo Oberlander will step down as President of Reynolds American, Inc. (“Reynolds American”). Guy Meldrum, currently Regional Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, will succeed Ricardo as President of Reynolds American effective 1 September 2020.
Read more >Half-year Report to 30 June 2020
MULTI-CATEGORY STRATEGY DELIVERS GROWTH IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Read more >BAT's response to WTO plain packaging decision
Today, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body ruled in favour of Australia in the dispute relating to plain packaging for combustible products in the Australian market. This decision marks the end of a dispute that started over eight years ago when five countries challenged the legality of plain packaging.
Read more >2020 First Half Pre-Close Trading Update
Resilient and growing. Trading update - ahead of closed period commencing 1st July 2020.
Read more >Chairman’s AGM Statement - 2020 outlook
Overall, and considering the challenging environment, our business is resilient, competitive and performing well, and we are confident in delivering another good year of adjusted diluted high single figure EPS growth in constant currency.
Read more >BAT working on potential COVID-19 vaccine through US bio-tech subsidiary
BAT’s US bio-tech subsidiary, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), is developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19 and is now in pre-clinical testing. If testing goes well, BAT is hopeful that, with the right partners and support from government agencies, between 1 and 3 million doses of the vaccine could be manufactured per week, beginning in June.
Read more >BAT launches sustainability agenda to deliver A Better Tomorrow
Today, BAT publishes its new sustainability report based on the Group’s evolved strategy to deliver ‘A Better Tomorrow’ by reducing the health impact of its business through offering a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products to consumers.
Read more >BAT Capital Markets Webcast: Building A Better Tomorrow
Building A Better Tomorrow by reducing the health impact of our business through a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky products
Read more >British American Tobacco signs £6 billion SONIA and SOFR linked revolving credit facility
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is pleased to announce that it has signed a new £6 billion multi-currency revolving credit facility. The new facility replaces BAT’s existing £6 billion revolving credit facility and is provided by a syndicate of 21 banks.
Read more >Preliminary announcement - year ended 31 December 2019
Strong operational performance drives deleveraging. Preliminary announcement - year ended 31 December 2019
Read more >British American Tobacco named as one of the most sustainable companies in the world
British American Tobacco (BAT) has been named as one of the most sustainable companies in the world in the 2019 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards, which celebrate leadership, transparency, and commitment to sustainable business practices.
Read more >British American Tobacco recognised as global leader for engaging its supply chain on climate change
British American Tobacco (BAT) has been identified as a global leader for engaging with its suppliers on climate change, being awarded a position on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard compiled by global environmental impact non-profit organisation CDP.
Read more >British American Tobacco named on CDP ‘A List’ for leading effort against climate change
British American Tobacco (BAT) has been commended for its climate action this year, achieving a place on global environmental impact non-profit organisation CDP's prestigious ‘A List’ for climate change, based on the company’s climate reporting in 2019. BAT was recognised for its actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy, based on the data submitted by the company through CDP’s 2019 climate change questionnaire. BAT is one of a small number of high-performing companies out of thousands that were scored.
Read more >British American Tobacco welcomes FDA guidance as a further step toward a sustainable regulatory environment for the U.S. vapour market
– British American Tobacco (BAT) welcomes the U.S. FDA’s acknowledgement that a properly regulated vapour category continues to provide a credible alternative to smoking, whilst also highlighting the important issue of preventing the access and appeal of vapour products to youth. Following a significant period of disruption and uncertainty, this regulatory clarity is a welcome step towards returning the US vapour market to stability.
Read more >You might also be interested in
Video: Chief Executive’s take on HYR 2023
Our Chief Executive Tadeu Marroco shares his views on BAT’s Half-Year Results for the six months to 30 June 2023.
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