RELX Pledge will “protect minors, consumers and economic livelihoods.”

RELX announces new pledge to help the community

RELX International has unveiled its three-pronged strategy to crack down on counterfeit goods, curb youth vaping and help new entrepreneurs thrive on the global market.

The international vape giant said it planned to usher in a ‘new era of responsibility’, outlining its wide-reaching Guardian Program, Golden Shield and Green Shoots initiatives during an exclusive online event.

RELX CEO Bing Du stressed that being an industry leader is ‘not enough’, saying that ‘social responsibility and giving back’ are some of the company’s top priorities.

Key parts of the strategy included:

• Requiring photo ID from customers when purchasing products online
• Not building brick-and-mortar stores within 50 meters of schools and playgrounds
• Using neutral flavour names on products to avoid appealing to young people and  
• Maintaining effective product verification and authentication.

RELX also announced that it has been working alongside enforcement agencies to rid the shelves of counterfeits under its ‘Golden Shield’ program, with the company removing over 550,000 fake products from the market since 2019.

Jonathan Ng, Global Head of External Affairs, said:

“Unfortunately, there are many counterfeit RELX and other smuggled products of unknown content and origin out there.

“We are working closely with investigation firms, e-commerce platforms and local authorities to weed out such products from the market.”

Jonathan Ng, RELX International

He also explained the company’s ambitious ‘Green Shoots’ initiative, which is set to help provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the essential tools to grow their businesses.

This will be achieved through the landmark ‘RELX academy’, currently being piloted in the Philippines, which will sponsor courses that will equip people with the ‘skills to succeed’.

RELX is now urging brands the world over to follow suit, with Jonathan Ng calling for a ‘new era of responsibility and safety’ in the vaping industry.

He said:

“We genuinely hope it will provide a better future for everyone, meaning that only genuine RELX products are used by adult vapers or adults looking for an alternative to smoking cigarettes.”

Jonathan Ng, RELX International