BBVA’s practices in support of human rights have been assessed and recognized as one of world’s best in ‘The BankTrack Human Rights Benchmark 2019’ a industry benchmark report published Banktrack. BBVA’s overall mark – 7.5 points, after improving 4 points with respect to the 2016 edition, the highest increase by any of the 50 banks analyzed – placed the bank fourth in list released by the NGO, behind ABN AMRO and Rabobank (Netherlands) and Australia’s ANZ.

To celebrate International Information Security Day, which will take place on November 30th, BBVA is dedicating the week to raising awareness of the risks in the digital world. In this interview, Ana Gómez Blanco, Head of Culture in Cybersecurity at BBVA, explains how initiatives like this are a fundamental component of corporate security and the key to helping employees and their families make their habits “cybersafe”.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has once again secured its position on both the BIST Sustainability Index and the BIST Corporate Governance Index, which are managed by Borsa Istanbul, Turkey’s stock market.

30 students from across Spain participated in an educational program at BBVA in collaboration with the Princess of Girona Foundation. The sessions took place in Madrid – at BBVA’s Open Space and at the bank’s corporate headquarters, BBVA City. The students, between the ages of 21 and 30, were selected for their hard work and exemplary nature, and many of them are the first in their familiar to go to college. Bank experts in different professional skills were in charge of teaching the training sessions.

Investor appetite for sustainable products has been growing exponentially in recent years.  BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, Antoni Ballabriga, revealed that “This year $350 million in sustainable bonds and corporate loans will be issued around the world, 30 percent more than last year, according to data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF).” During the ‘Sustainable finance in the face of environmental challenges’ forum, organized by Spain’s National Association of Economists (Consejo General de Economistas), Ballabriga stressed that “there is still a lot to be done” and “one of the current challenges is to incorporate this trend into the SME and consumer markets.”

BBVA and its community investment program has once again been recognized as a world leader in corporate social responsibility, according to the latest edition of ‘Giving in Numbers’ released by Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP). BBVA appears in the upper quartile — among the 25 percent most prominent companies in the world — out of the 250 surveyed, thus sealing its position in community investment and social commitment. Specifically, in 2018 BBVA allocated more than €104 million to social programs benefiting eight million people.

Each year the International Day Against Breast Cancer is celebrated on October 19. This date serves as a reminder of society’s commitment to fight the most malignant tumor that most frequently strikes the female population. BBVA supports this cause and has launched its “Bonds that Unite” campaign, allowing customers to make donations to the Spanish Association Against Cancer via Bizum. As an additional gesture of solidarity, the bank will illuminate a pink rose on its headquarter buildings in Madrid, Mexico City, and Lima.

After last week’s climate summit in New York, there is still a lot of uncertainty around the feasibility of fulfilling either the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals or hitting the 2050 carbon neutrality target. In an article written by BBVA Research’s Arturo Fraile, the economist warns that “time is running out, and progress must be made” because positive results are still on the distant horizon. In his opinion, financial regulation and supervision will be key to this unavoidable transition.

On September 22, the Principles for Responsible Banking were signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. These principles were conceived a year ago in Paris thanks to the initiative of 28 financial institutions working together under the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme – Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).  BBVA was one of the founding banks. To date, 130 CEOs from financial organizations around the world have signed the principles.

In commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the approval of the 2030 Agenda, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), BBVA is joining the #Act4SDGs to help disseminate these United Nations goals. It is doing so in collaboration with the Spanish Global Compact Network, the largest global network on sustainability and corporate responsibility, which BBVA joined in 2002.

BBVA is one of the signatories of the Collective Commitment to Climate Action that, under the auspices of the United Nations, 31 international financial institutions have promoted to ensure the alignment of their products and services to the fight against the climate emergency.

BBVA is one of the signatories of the Principles for Responsible Banking, promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). These Principles embody the commitment of 130 banking institutions and the United Nations to take on the climate emergency and sustainability challenges facing society today.

Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, was recently appointed Co-Chair of the Global Steering Committee for the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). The UNEP FI is the global partnership established between the UN and the financial sector to promote sustainable finance, a cause that will keep Antoni Ballabriga busy well after the summer holidays. His calendar features a trip to New York on September 22 when BBVA, as one of the founding banks, will sign the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking.

Antoni Ballabriga received a B.A. in Business Administration and an MBA from ESADE Business School. He completed postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School where he focused on strategy and corporate social responsibility.  He chairs the European Banking Federation’s working group on sustainable finance. He has also chaired the Spanish Forum for Socially Responsible Investment (SpainSIF) and the Spanish association of executives for corporate social responsibility (DIRSE).

Ballabriga reports directly to the bank’s management board. His avowed mission is “to ensure the bank systematically positions people at the heart of its decision-making processes.”

This summer, approximately 400 children and teens between the ages of 9 and 17 enjoyed BBVA’s cybersafe Fridays. The bank held a series of different workshops to raise awareness and educate employee families about how to use technology and social networks safely.

In 2018 BBVA invested €12.4 million in initiatives supporting social enterprises, encouraging volunteer activities, and promoting corporate responsibility. This amount totals €43 million for the 2016-2018 time period.

BBVA is holding the leading international event on financial education. The third edition of the 2019 EduFin Summit will take place on July 11th and 12th, with the participation of BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila; Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernández de Cos; and Spanish Banking Association (AEB) Chairman and CEO José María Roldán. Over 30 global experts from 16 countries will debate how the digital revolution can contribute to people’s financial well-being.

“The Sustainable Development Goals and climate change entail a transformation on the same scale as digitization, but, in this case, the stakes are much higher” This is how BBVA Global Head of Responsible Business Antoni Ballabriga described “this present moment and the opportunity and sense of urgency that we are dealing with today as societies” in the face of climate change.

BBVA has invested more than €300 million over the past three years as part of its Community Investment Plan, supporting a total of 24 million people. In 2018 alone, BBVA allocated more than €104 million to social programs that reached eight million people around the world

BBVA secured €11.8 billion in sustainable financing in 2018, the first year of Pledge 2025, the bank’s initiative to combat climate change. This figure includes transactions in green financing (69 percent of the total), sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness (13 percent), and social entrepreneurism and financial inclusion (18 percent).

BBVA secured €11.8 billion in sustainable financing in 2018, the first year of Pledge 2025, the bank’s initiative to combat climate change. This figure includes transactions in green financing (69 percent of the total), sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness (13 percent), and social entrepreneurism and financial inclusion (18 percent).

On Saturday, March 30th, the world came together to celebrate Earth Hour, an initiative promoted by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Entire cities went dark for an hour to raise awareness and urge people to join the global movement in support of the environment and the protection of the planet. BBVA’s HQ in Spain – Ciudad BBVA – as well as other corporate buildings and headquarters in other countries, including Mexico, the U.S., Colombia, Peru, Uruguay or Argentina, also showcased their commitment to sustainability and the fight against climate change.

BBVA Compass received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.  The bank joins the ranks of over 570 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

Over 1,800 participants from the banking industry, governmental authorities, and civil society gathered in Brussels on February 5-6, to take part in what has become the leading forum discussing the future of the European Union’s industry. EU Industry Days 2019, organized by the European Commission, devoted a substantial share of time to social investment and sustainable financing, something that has become an obligation for financial institutions today, according to Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Responsible Business, BBVA, who participated in one of the panels.

Between 2016 and 2022, BBVA will reach a milestone of supporting almost half a million young people gain access to the job market, primarily though its worldwide entrepreneur programs. The bank, together with 20 other large global companies at the World Economic Forum in Davos, launched Global Alliance for YOUth, an initiative representing a collective effort to provide young people with the knowledge and skills they need for the jobs that society calls for. To this end, the project aims to help six million young people improve their skills so they can take part in the new working environments.

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

The Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Competition recently celebrated its 12th edition. During the ceremony, the first and only one of its kind, the names of the winners of the four award categories – Turkish Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, Turkish Woman Entrepreneur Who Made a Difference in Her Region, Most Promising Turkish Woman Entrepreneur and Turkish Woman Social Entrepreneur of the Year – were announced.

BBVA joined ING, BNP Paribas, Société Générale and Standard Chartered in a joint commitment to adapt their lending portfolio to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.  In an open letter to the global leaders and heads of state currently meeting at the 24th session of Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in Katowice (Poland), these banks committed to finance and design financial services that are needed to support clients as they transition to a low carbon economy.

As of this morning, Anna Escobedo Cabral has become the chairwoman of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF) Board of Trustees, after succeeding Claudio Gonzalez-Vega, who headed up the foundation’s governance body since 2015. As the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, humble origins led the new Board of Trustees’ chair to combine her studies with work and to become the first in her family to graduate from both high school and college.

The Principles for Responsible Banking were announced in Paris on November 26. BBVA is one of the founding banks involved in this initiative, which forms a part of the United Nations Environmental Programme.

The UN Climate Change Conference, held at the UN’s annual Conference of the Parties (COP), are international meetings that aim to negotiate and and agree the activities that need to be addressed by global climate policy. On the heels of the announcement in Paris of its participation in the UN’s Principles for Responsible Banking, BBVA also joins this global initiative for a sustainable future.

The Principles for Responsible Banking were presented in Paris on November 26. These principles are the result of a joint initiative comprising 28 financial institutions and the United Nations that aims to take on the climate change and sustainability challenges facing society today.

BBVA joined in launching the Principles for Responsible Banking at the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) global roundtable in Paris. “With these Principles for Responsible Banking, we are redefining banking’s role in society in order to generate a positive impact on people’s lives,” BBVA’s CEO Carlos Torres Vila stated.

Her Majesty Queen Letizia and BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman Francisco González presented the 10th edition of the Integra Awards at BBVA City (Madrid) this morning. These awards recognizes the accomplishments of organizations that develop workplace integration initiatives for people with disabilities and launch employment generating programs. The five organizations that received this year’s awards are the Juan XXIII Roncalli Foundation, Ilunion Responsible Tourism, the National Confederation of Deaf People, Amimet, and the Mental Health Federation of Castile and León.

BBVA backs the European network of Financial Centers for Sustainability, which was presented at the Climate Innovation Summit 2018. The annual summit is organized by Climate-KIC and was held in Dublin this year. “At BBVA, we value the creation of this network of centers representing Europe’s most influential cities. The initiative, which has its origins in the United Nations Environment Programme, represents an additional pillar encouraging all key players to get involved in building a more robust and resilient financial system.” asserts Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business.

BBVA was recognized as a global leader for its corporate responsibility and social investment programs in the latest report of Giving in Numbers, published by The CEO Force for Good. The report is based on the largest survey in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), gathering data from 252 of the world’s largest companies. The report placed BBVA in the top 25% of the most socially committed companies.

More than 7,000 BBVA employees worldwide took part in some 325 acts of solidarity as part of the Global Volunteers’ Week celebrated in over 15 countries.

BBVA is listed in this year’s edition of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the market’s benchmark index, which tracks the stock performance of about 3,400 listed companies in terms of environmental, social and corporate governance matters.

Socially responsible investment funds (SRIF) are collective investment instruments that choose the assets that make up their portfolio based on environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG). These eligibility criteria contribute to making better-informed investment decisions, taking into account not only financial criteria, but also less tangible parameters.

BBVA has joined RE100, a collaborative, global initiative uniting the world’s most influential businesses committed to sourcing 100% of their power consumption from renewable sources before 2050. In doing so, businesses convey a powerful message to policymakers and investors: We need to expedite the transition towards a zero-emissions economy.

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.”

Taking action against climate change and promoting sustainable development is not a fight to save the planet; it’s a fight for the human race. Olivier Guersent, Director-General at the European Commission asserted himself emphatically at the “Financing Sustainable Growth” conference held on March 22nd in Brussels with influential figures such as Emmanuel Macron, Michael Bloomberg, and Jean-Claude Juncker.

If the transition to sustainable finance is to be possible, society needs a committed business community that is aware of the environmental challenges, knows how to take advantage of the opportunities provided by green financial solutions and participates actively in the debate.  This was one of the main conclusions to emerge from the recent breakfast meeting “Sustainable Finance: solutions for a green economy”, organized by Grupo Español para el Crecimiento Verde (the Spanish Green Growth Group) and BBVA, which took place in the Bank’s headquarters.

Fair-trade coffee, quality guarantee, ecological tomatoes… consumers read the labels on the things they eat. But is there any way of checking that what they say is correct? In order to do so, you would need a register of the processes to which the product has been submitted, something blockchain can do.

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 Compass’ focus on digital transformation doesn’t mean the importance of branches is fading. Quite the contrary.