TORONTO, March 4, 2016 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report and Public Accountability Statement today which compliments CIBC's Annual Report to shareholders by disclosing CIBC's economic, environmental, social and governance performance for the 2015 fiscal year.

Highlights of this year's report include:

• On behalf of clients, CIBC Wealth Management held over $1 billion in Responsible Investment funds;
• CIBC is a signatory to the Equator Principles, a member of the Green Bond Principles, and lent $300 million towards financing renewable power projects;
• CIBC lent $135.9 billion in debt financings to businesses;
• Improved Employee Commitment Index score in our annual employee survey with 86% of our team agreeing that CIBC is a great place to work and 87% being proud to be identified with our bank; and
• CIBC invested more than $65 million to support 1,850 community organizations in 425 communities across Canada. This includes $45 million in corporate giving and $20 million in employee giving and fundraising.

CIBC is proud to be recognized for industry-best practices, including being named:

• The strongest publicly traded bank in Canada by Bloomberg Markets magazine and the only North American bank listed all five years;
• Among the Top 10 Safest Banks in North America by Global Finance magazine;
• Among the Best 50 Corporate Citizens by Corporate Knights;
• Among the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations by Maclean's;
• One of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp; and
• One of the Best Diversity Employers by Mediacorp.

Any questions or feedback on our report can be directed to: corporateresponsibility@cibc.com.

About CIBC

CIBC is a leading Canadian-based financial institution with 11 million individual, small business, commercial and institutional clients. CIBC and its employees invest in the social and economic development of communities through corporate donations, sponsorships and the volunteer spirit of its employees. In 2015, CIBC contributed more than $65 million to support community initiatives across Canada. This year, CIBC will mark its 20th year as title sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure and over two decades of support for breast cancer research and treatment. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre/ or by following on Twitter @CIBC, Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIBC) and Instagram @CIBCNow.

SOURCE CIBC