While we seek to mitigate the physical risks to our business associated with the natural environment through a comprehensive strategy that includes the development and implementation of robust mitigation and adaptation measures, we recognize that there are residual risks that lie beyond our operational control. For example, increased frequency and intensity of extreme droughts, floods, and/or heatwaves could negatively affect our manufacturing operations, tobacco-growing areas, third-party operators and third-party manufacturers sites, and supply regions for products and raw materials, all of which may lead to disruption of our supply chain and of operations at factories, warehouses and other premises.
Furthermore, there is a continued and, in some cases, increased focus by certain regulatory and legislative bodies on environmental policies, including by the governmental authorities in certain international jurisdictions where we operate. These policies include, among others, carbon emissions and other environmentally focused taxation and fees as well as disclosure requirements, which could lead to additional taxation; energy price increases; disclosure and data assurance risks; new compliance costs; increased distribution and supply chain costs; and other expenses impacting our cost of operations. Moreover, given that the regulatory landscape in this regard is highly dynamic and fragmented across the many jurisdictions where we operate, additional uncertainties may be driven by regulatory changes with limited time for implementation and by contradictory requirements across jurisdictions, which could elevate the cost or complexity of our operations or create compliance risks. Additionally, government authorities, non-governmental organizations and other external stakeholders are increasingly filing lawsuits or initiating regulatory actions, alleging that public statements regarding sustainability-related matters and practices are misleading or false.