TORONTO, March 27 /CNW/ - Once again, CIBC is turning out the lights in
its corporate buildings across the country during Earth Hour this year,
joining the global effort for action on climate change.
    At 8:30 p.m., Saturday, March 28, CIBC and property managers of leased
spaces will turn off all non-essential lighting in CIBC main buildings in
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
    "At CIBC, we recognize that a healthy and sustainable environment is
critical for enriching the communities in which we operate," said Robert
Hughes, CIBC's Vice-President, Corporate & Operational Risk Management. "CIBC
takes its environmental stewardship responsibilities very seriously, and in
2008, we continued to improve our environmental performance."-  In 2008, CIBC was recognized for the second year in a row as a 2008
       Climate Disclosure Leader by the Conference Board of Canada and the
       Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CIBC is also included on the Dow
       Jones Sustainability World and North American Indexes, the FTSE4Good
       Index, and the Jantzi Social Index.
    -  CIBC is committed, through its Environmentally Responsible Procurement
       Standard, to purchasing products and services from environmentally
       conscious suppliers.
    -  Carbon dioxide emissions from CIBC-related business travel decreased
       by 17% in 2008.
    -  CIBC has reduced paper purchases for use in copy and fax machines and
       printers by 19% since 2004.
    -  Paper recycling increased by 11% in 2008, due in part to the paper
       shredding program in place in CIBC's North American operations.
    -  Almost 2,500 tonnes of CO(2) emissions have been reduced through the
       installation of climate neutral carpeting since 2004.CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with nearly 11
million personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of
products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking network,
branches and offices across Canada, in the United States and around the world.
You can find other news releases and information about CIBC in our Press
Centre on our corporate website at www.cibc.com.