September 28 (SeeNews) - Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) said it plans to invest $6 million (5 million euro) in the next two years to develop services dedicated to environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in 29 states in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), including Romania.
The multinational professional services company also plans to set up a center of excellence to advise clients on strategy and reporting in this domain, PwC's Romanian unit said in a press release.
The future centre's location was not disclosed.
"In order to succeed in the current global climate, companies must gain the trust of the parties interested and provide sustained results. Through our associated PwC CEE capabilities with smart investment and commitment to customers and stakeholders, we can contribute to strengthening the trust in our societies and to create sustainable solutions to the challenges we face," PwC CEO Nick Kós said.
At the same time, PwC CEE will invest in strengthening customer services such as extended audits, digital transformation, financial crime prevention, cloud computing, robotics and automation. Additional commitments include an ambitious programme to improve the digital skills of the 12,000 employees in CEE until the end of fiscal year 2022, as well as reach zero carbon emissions by 2030.
"Under pressure from regulators, investors and society, the business community must demonstrate that it can create long-term value by managing ESG issues," PwC Romania and Moldova country managing partner Dinu Bumbacea said.
PwC is present in 29 CEE states, including Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, employing more than 12,000.
Globally, PwC employs 284,000 in 155 countries.
($= 0.8547 euro)