Sept. 15, 2008 - PricewaterhouseCoopers has collected its various social and environmental programs under a broad-based "corporate responsibility commitment" unveiled Friday at a financial-services industry summit.

In its new strategy, the company pledges to focus resources in four strategic areas:

• Marketplace: Creating a framework of ethical business practices for its vendors.
• People: Enhancing professional experiences for its employees, to attract new talent and improve staff retention.
• Communities: Developing volunteer staff programs such as its Month of Community Service, and Project Belize, an international volunteer experience.
• Environment: Completing carbon emissions inventories to frame environmental commitments, and promoting individual behavioral change — from reducing travel by enhancing video conferencing capabilities to encouraging employees to print double-sided.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers believes it can play a transformative role in addressing today's social, business and environmental challenges," says Kelly Barnes, a member of PwC's leadership team. "Our corporate responsibility efforts formalize our deep commitment to sharing expertise and resources to create a fundamental, positive impact in the communities in which we work and live."

The firm reports donating 96,000 hours to volunteerism in fiscal year 2008, worth an estimated $19 million. The company recently announced that beginning this year, the 31,000 U.S. employees will receive an additional 10 hours of paid time off to volunteer in their communities for their personal causes and charities.

To read more about PwC's sustainability strategy, click here.