What if the whole world came together to eliminate poverty and hunger; ensure good health, quality education and clean water for all people and reduce inequalities? What if every country committed to work toward affordable, clean energy and responsible consumption and production? It may sound too good to be true, but through the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that’s actually happening now.

Investors who want to put their money where their ethics are — to realize potentially attractive returns while supporting environmentally sound and humane business practices — may choose from a variety of financial instruments that align with these goals.

Sustainable businesses benefit the environment, their people and the community around them. But a focus on sustainability isn’t just about giving back; it also makes good business sense.

Business giants like Nike and Cisco are making significant investments in diversity efforts. In California, public companies are now required to include both men and women on their boards, reports NPR. And there’s a reason why attention on diversity and inclusion in the workplace continues to grow: A diverse, inclusive workforce isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also good for business.

BBVA Compass earned a spot on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity 2019 list, the bank’s second recognition in the U.S. in the last three years.

Garanti Bank once again hosted women entrepreneurs from a range of different sectors for a meeting in Samsun. Organized in collaboration with the Women’s Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey (KAGİDER), the purpose of the 2019 Women Entrepreneurs Meeting is to help open new markets and provide women entrepreneurs the knowledge they need to further develop their businesses. The meeting in Samsun was the first of a series of similar events planned for cities around the country.

Ebru Dildar Edin, Garanti Bank’s Executive Vice President of CIB, was recently re-elected President of Turkey’s Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD). The general assembly of the organization voted in favor of Edin continuing in her role as BCSD President – a position she accepted one year ago. BCSD Turkey is a key member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development network and has spearheaded sustainability initiatives in Turkey’s public and private sectors for the past 15 years.

On March 27 at the CDP Climate Change Conference, CDP, the world’s largest environmental reporting platform announced the 2018 results for Turkey’s Climate Change and Water programs. Garanti Bank sponsored the conference where, as in previous years, it assumed its place among other Turkish CDP leaders receiving their awards.

In 2016 Garanti Bank teamed up with Bahçeşehir University to launch ‘Code the Future with Garanti’, an educational program designed to make a positive impact on local communities by preparing children for the digital age. Entering its fourth year, the program will hold a series of workshops in seven cities across Turkey. Its first stop: Istanbul.

The National Association of Women Business Owners reports 11.6 million women-owned firms in the United States. Access to banking solutions, ranging from small business loans to venture capital and digital applications, has been critical in fueling that growth.

BBVA Momentum 2019 is coming to cities across the bank’s footprint for a series of informational sessions on its small business program for social entrepreneurs.

The BBVA Center for Education and Financial Capability today, March 5, is pleased to announce its second call for research proposals. BBVA EduFin Research Grants 2019 invites researchers to propose research projects dealing with topics related to financial education. Each of the five projects selected will receive €10,000, and its researchers will be invited to attend the Center’s annual summit, the Edufin Summit.

BBVA Compass is calling a winning play, signing on to be the presenting Pro Day sponsor of two top-tier football programs in the Yellowhammer State.

BBVA Compass and the Houston Rockets celebrated Black History Month today at Texas Southern University, hosting a Fireside Chat with civil rights leaders Carlotta Walls LaNier and Lucille Bridges.

At an event celebrating the winner of BBVA Momentum 2018 last night, BBVA Compass executives announced the opening for 2019 Momentum applications, as well as a second opportunity for entrepreneurs to win up to $60,000 for their businesses, called the Entrepreneurial Opportunity of the Year contest presented by BBVA Compass and The Business Journals.

The European Commission has warmly received the Principles for Responsible Banking. The vice president of the European Commission applauded this UN-sponsored initiative, which BBVA has actively championed since its inception. “It is truly encouraging to witness this initiative. Now is the time to implement them and truly scale up in sustainable finance. We need European banks to lead the way,” explained Valdis Dombrovskis, vice president of the European Commission, at a European Banking Federation forum held on February 5 in Brussels.

BBVA Compass today announced that the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta rated it “Outstanding” for CRA performance for its most recent examination period encompassing 2015 to 2017. The bank achieved “excellent performance” for community development lending and investments, and “high satisfactory” for service, which would translate to an overall “Outstanding” rating.

For the ninth consecutive year, BBVA Compass once again sponsored the AFP Aware community service project, a campaign where the annual AFP Aware conference gives back to the region where the conferences is held.

BBVA Compass announced Thursday that it will provide financial relief for clients directly impacted by the current federal government shutdown.

What do you get when you cross a group of agile-trained bankers with a community food bank project? A record-breaking day.

After half a decade of bringing holiday joy and toys to students across the country, the BBVA Compass Foundation’s Project Blue Elf campaign has shifted its focus to surprise and delight families that participate in the bank’s financial education programs.

BBVA Compass wraps up a four-month pilot program in December designed to provide financial education workshops through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. Based on the success of the pilot program, the bank plans to execute a full program launch next year.

BBVA Momentum, the social enterprise accelerator program launched in Spain and Mexico in 2011, wrapped up its second year in the U.S. in November with 16 entrepreneur participants.

Under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), Garanti joined 27 other global banks at the presentation of the Principles for Responsible Banking in Paris. BBVA owns a 49.85% stake of Garanti – the only Turkish bank participating in this global initiative.

Social entrepreneur Michelle Corson of Dallas, Texas took home the $75,000 first prize for On the Road Lending, a company which finances fuel-efficient and reliable cars, under warranty, for lower-skilled workers with weak credit at the wrap of BBVA Compass second annual social entrepreneur program BBVA Momentum.

BBVA Compass was the presenting sponsor of last weekend’s Black Tie Dinner, the nation’s largest one night LGBTQ fundraising dinner.

BBVA Compass today launched the Birmingham chapter of its Business Resource Group (BRG) Women in Leadership.

More than 1,800 BBVA Compass employees — plus another 250 friends and family members — joined their BBVA co-workers across the globe to participate in the bank’s Week of Volunteering September 24-30.  Employees across the footprint participated in 189 individual events, including Habitat for Humanity projects, food bank initiatives, community clean up efforts, and financial education workshops for individuals and small businesses.

For the second year in a row, BBVA has been named among the 200 companies in the world most advanced in gender equality, according to the Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking. The ranking is carried out annually by Equileap, an organization created with the goal of promoting progress in gender equality on a corporate level.

After months of anticipation, the BBVA Compass Iron City Showdown tipped off last night at 7 p.m. at Legacy Arena in front of 16,888 fans in attendance, culminating in a 131-115 Houston Rockets win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Financial education specialists are gathering in Buenos Aires to celebrate EduFin Summit 2018, a forum that seeks to foster debate on the industry’s biggest challenges. BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability has organized the second edition of this global event, which this year has a special focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Over the course of two days, representatives of the public sector, the corporate world and educational institutions will share data and insights into their success stories in financial inclusion and education.

Waller Creek Conservancy announced BBVA Compass as its lead corporate partner in the Waller Creek Park Community Program on Tuesday.

BBVA Compass Gainesville City President Robert McDaniel has seen a good amount in his seasoned career in the banking industry.

BBVA Compass has selected 16 social entrepreneurs from across the country to participate in its BBVA Momentum accelerator program, designed to help participants enhance their operations to impact the lives of more people.

BBVA Compass is teaming up with nonprofits to build a comprehensive network of financial education offerings, with the goal of giving 20,000 low- to moderate-income individuals and families the knowledge they need to take better control of their financial lives.

The 2018 BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup will benefit the KIPP Opportunity Campus, BBVA Compass and the Dynamo announced this afternoon.

The BBVA Compass Foundation has announced that it will donate $2,500 to the Santa Fe Texas Education Foundation, Inc. to aid in recovery efforts in the wake of the recent tragedy at Santa Fe High School.

BBVA is one of 26 international banks that will work jointly on the development of Banking Principles that will align the banking industry’s business model to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The United Nations is driving the initiative. BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman stressed that “these banking principles will define the standards and accountability model for the future of banking.”

BBVA opened its headquarters in Madrid to welcome investors, business leaders, public and private institutions and the media, to an event aimed at promoting sustainable development and the fight against climate change. During the first edition of the ‘BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum,’ Group Executive Chairman Francisco González explained the reason for the meeting: “Banks need to help customers drive sustainable development and transition towards a low-carbon economy. At BBVA, we want to be the catalysts of this change.” Francisco González opened the event alongside Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, Vice-President of the Government of Spain.

This Wednesday BBVA will hold the BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum, bringing together investors, businesspeople, institutional representatives, and sustainable finance experts with the aim to boost the finance industry’s role in sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Taking place at BBVA’s headquarters in Madrid, the forum will be inaugurated by the Francisco González, Group Executive Chairman of BBVA, and Spain’s Vice President, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría.

Sixteen international banks convened by the United Nations jointly published a first version of the methodology to provide banking greater transparency and advance a better understanding of the management of risks and opportunities related to climate change. BBVA is one of the institutions participating in the project.

BBVA Compass is expanding its BBVA Momentum accelerator program this year and inviting social entrepreneurs from across its seven-state Sunbelt footprint to apply. The bank will select up to 35 entrepreneurs to participate in the intensive five-month training program for entrepreneurs who want to change the world through their work.

HOUSTON — BBVA Compass and Opportunity Finance Network today announced the names of the 27 dedicated leaders at community development financial institutions who were selected for the 2018 Opportunity Fellows Program, their joint initiative to boost the CDFI industry’s leadership ranks and spur greater access to capital in under-resourced communities.

Garanti Bank has taken the opportunity before the United Nations to present its ongoing efforts in the global engagement against gender-based violence. Garanti’s campaign against this societal anathema is coordinated by the Turkish bank’s Talent & Culture Department, with the bank’s “Good Practice” report presented on March 19 of this year before the 62nd Session of United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (62nd CSW) within the scope of the Business against Domestic Violence (BADV) project.

BBVA allocated 103 million euros in 2017 to social initiatives on a global level. BBVA continued to reinforce the main pillars of action of its Community Investment Plan for the period 2016-2018: financial education, social entrepreneurship and knowledge. The graphic shows the main actions undertaken in these areas:

The European Commission has published its Action Plan to boost the contribution of the financial industry to the aim of achieving a more sustainable global economy. The Plan is in line with BBVA’s 2025 Commitment, the Bank’s strategy on climate change and sustainability, which involves the mobilization of €100 billion over the next eight years to promote the transition toward a low-carbon economy and the sustainable development.

BBVA Compass assembled Albuquerque leaders Thursday to celebrate the bank’s $2.8 million in equity equivalent investments in Homewise and the New Mexico Community Development Loan Fund, two organizations dedicated to creating opportunities for low- to moderate-income families in the city.

BBVA has marked a new milestone in the sustainable finance business with the closing of the first global transaction in the insurance sector. MAPFRE has transformed its syndicated credit facility for 1 billion euros into sustainable finance with the cooperation of BBVA, which acted as Sustainable Agent in the transaction.

BBVA Compass and Opportunity Finance Network are putting out the call to dedicated leaders at community development financial institutions and inviting them to apply to the Opportunity Fellows Program, their joint initiative to boost the CDFI industry’s leadership ranks and spur greater access to capital in under-resourced communities.

BBVA took part in the first seminar organized by the Institute of Compliance Officers (IOC).  Executives of Spanish multinationals addressed the main challenges facing the profession in applying current regulations within a company. They underscored the fundamental role of the compliance officer in companies committed to transparency and good corporate governance.