PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) announced today the publication of its 2008 Corporate Citizenship Report executive summary entitled "Performance with Purpose: Creating a Better Tomorrow for Future Generations." The report details the company's progress in addressing economic, environmental and social challenges in the 2008 fiscal year. The full report can be found on http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Sustainability/Sustainability-Report.html.

"As one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, we have some distinct responsibilities," said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and CEO. "We have a responsibility to support economic development, to improve our environmental footprint and to help work toward solutions to issues such as obesity and undernourishment. This report captures the progress we have made thus far, and provides a map of where we intend to go."

Based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, the 2008 report remains grounded in PepsiCo's mission of Performance with Purpose - a balance of achieving continued financial success while bringing purpose to the company's performance. The report highlights PepsiCo's three areas of influence - human, environmental and talent sustainability:

• Human Sustainability - Nourishing our consumers through the products we offer -- from treats to healthy eats -- and through our efforts to encourage more active lifestyles.
• Environmental Sustainability - Protecting our natural resources and operating in a way that minimizes our environmental footprint.
• Talent Sustainability - Involving and empowering people, helping them to realize their potential, renew themselves and achieve success.
  

Some of PepsiCo's notable sustainable development achievements for 2008 include:

• The conservation of more than 750,000 megawatt hours of energy and more than 7.5 billion liters of water vs. our 2006 baseline.
• The introduction of a new half-liter bottle for Aquafina flavored waters, Lipton Iced Teas and Tropicana juice drinks that contains 20% less plastic than the previous bottle and the label is 10% smaller than before.
• The launch of PepsiCo University, which offers a blended approach to learning through both classroom activities and online tools.
• News that its Walkers crisps brand reduced its energy use per pack by one-third and its water use by 42%, following its carbon certification in 2000.
• Formation of a $6 million, three-year partnership with The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the PepsiCo Foundation that includes a series of community-based activities to address water, agriculture and climate issues.
• Development of Sustainability Engineering Guidelines based on LEED standards that apply to all new construction as well as major remodels of existing buildings globally, where practical.
• Signing of the United Nations' CEO Water Mandate and actively support its activity.
• The launch of the Female Talent Development program in our Middle East and Africa region to focus on workplace equality and increase recruitment of women.
  

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses - Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade - also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. PepsiCo is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (World and North America). For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE: PepsiCo

Web site: http://www.pepsico.com/