Garanti BBVA and its subsidiaries have been recognized by Kincentric as the ‘Best Employer 2020’ in Turkey. The bank received three out of four awards, making the bank and its subsidiaries the best place to work.

Sandra Ceballos is a single mother who besides tending to the needs of her four children, also takes care of the environment through her recycling business. Jessica Quipainao, also the primary breadwinner in her household, preserves her Mapuche heritage by making jewelry. Johana Jurado sells garments to leave a legacy for her daughter, and therefore strives to keep this small business afloat. They are just three of the 1.5 million women entrepreneurs across five Latin American countries that are thriving with help from the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF). Thanks to this work and its development finance initiatives, the Foundation is the top contributor to gender equality, according to the latest report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

BBVA increased its investment in social programs and initiatives by 25 percent, from €113.8 million in 2019 to €142.2 million in 2020, directly benefiting 12.2 million people. Additionally, the institution has promoted access to various training platforms to more than 15.6 million people. In 2020, BBVA’s social initiatives reached a total of 27.8 million people in countries where the Group is present.

Placing the core values of its corporate culture at the heart of its banking activities, Garanti BBVA issued its Integrated Annual Report 2020 with the concept “The Meaning We Attach to Words”. Integrating the real life reflections of its commitments to the society alongside economic indicators in its legal annual reporting, Garanti BBVA also describes the sustainability principles it has implemented in the process.

The many manifestations of COVID-19 have made us susceptible to associating any of its wide-ranging symptoms to the virus and we forget that other conditions still exist and need to be tended to. More worrisome is the fact that globally, public health measures to control the pandemic, including mobility restrictions and prioritization of COVID-19 treatment, coupled with the economic crisis that is producing an increase in poverty, has made it even more challenging for low-income patients to access treatment in a timely manner. In Latin America, according to Pfizer, the number of medical consultations  and oncological visits nearly halved. Moreover, in the region, having medical coverage and access to basic health care is limited to very few people.

Garanti BBVA has been included in Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index – a recognition it received thanks to its internal equality policies, the benefits it provides its customers and its successful efforts through its entire value chain.

BBVA received the banking industry’s silver award in the yearbook put together by S&P Global, analyst for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the ranking in which the Group rose to the position of the second most sustainable bank in the world in 2020.

45 minutes by motorcycle, half an hour by boat and 15 minutes on foot. That is how Sergio Pacheco and Victor Madera, loan officers of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation in Colombia, manage to bring financial services where no one else does. This journey is just one example among the numerous cases that can be found in the countries where the Foundation works. These are the lengths to which they go to reach those who live outside the financial system, which is another barrier to their progress. In 2020, BBVAMF has banked nearly 300,000 people in Colombia and Peru, and its two institutions combined have reached more than 2.1 million clients.

The World Health Organization promotes Breast Cancer Day every October 19 to  raise awareness about the commitment of society as a whole to the fight against the most common form of cancer in women. For yet another year, BBVA is organizing a fundraising campaign via Bizum, the leading instant payments solution in Spain, to encourage customer donations in support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer. As an additional gesture of solidarity, this morning, the bank lit up its headquarter buildings in Madrid, La Vela, in pink.

On the occasion of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary, Garanti BBVA signed the Declaration of Business Leaders, sealing its commitment towards creating a fairer, more sustainable and more inclusive world, as well as to take on current global challenges.

The Business Monitor of Corporate Reputation (MERCO) recognized BBVA Mexico for fourth year running as the country’s most reputable bank. The lender also took sixth place in the overall ranking of companies. In addition, BBVA Mexico vice president and CEO Eduardo Osuna Osuna took sixth in the list of ‘Mexico’s 100 Most Reputable Executives’ published by the same consultancy.

Much is said about financial inclusion’s impact in people’s sustainable development: access to financial services is the gateway to an improved well-being and a necessary condition to guarantee equal opportunities, in addition to promoting growth. Institutions like the BBVA Microfinance Foundation facilitate this inclusion, something which, beyond its tangible value, empowers people to gradually enhance their financial management skills and, overtime, gain access to products and services from the formal banking system.

BBVA reached €50.2 billion in sustainable financing at the end of December 2020. This means it has achieved half of its sustainable financing objective foreseen for the 2018-2025 period (€100 billion), one year ahead of schedule. The growth rate in the financing of this type of BBVA sustainable operation is 33 percent more than planned.

BBVA has now earmarked the €35 million donation it committed to support COVID-19 relief. The lion’s share of the funds (81 percent) were allocated to defend against the virus’ initial hit in medical centers and hospitals.

BBVA’s Turkish unit is on the frontlines in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Emergency field hospitals in Sancaktepe and at the Atatürk airport have received locally manufactured medical equipment.

Donations from BBVA employees around the world to fight coronavirus have reached one million euros. As part of its campaign ‘Your contribution is worth double’, BBVA has matched the amount donated by each employee, for a total of two million euros. The donation will be used to purchase healthcare materials, to support vulnerable communities across the bank’s footprint, and to research a cure for the disease. At the outset of the crisis, BBVA announced that it would contribute 35 million euros to fight the pandemic. This figure includes the bank’s one million euro contribution to the campaign in solidarity against COVID-19.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has launched the latest round of its Garanti BBVA Partners Acceleration Program, an initiative that seeks to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit and support local small business people.

BBVA increased its 2019 contribution to the communities it serves, allocating €113.8 million to social initiatives, thus benefiting 11.5 million people around the world, up 42 percent from the previous year. Of this investment, 85 percent is earmarked to the three areas defined as priorities in the Community Investment Plan: financial education; social entrepreneurship; and knowledge, education and culture.

BBVA is one of the top five European banks with the strongest commitment to sustainable finance, according to a report produced by World Resources Institute (WRI). The bank takes the top position in Europe and the third worldwide, when considered by asset size.

A few years ago when BBVA decided to define its purpose, one of the intended goals was to foster a common corporate-wide culture based on a shared vision and values. This is no easy task because the profile of any large multi-national business will reflect the different backgrounds of its individuals: different nationalities, ages, etc. Young people today demand more from a job and are more aware than ever of the values that companies project. During the application process, companies will also weigh whether a job applicant fits with its corporate values. Some companies, like BBVA, are even beginning to define incentive plans to encourage alignment to the overarching corporate culture.

At the forum entitled `Después de la Cumbre del Clima ¿Ahora qué?´ (The Climate Conference has ended, now what?, in English), Global Head of Responsible Business in BBVA, AntoniBallabriga, reflected on the steps that the banking sector must take following COP25. While acknowledging the “insufficient” results of the conference, he remarked that, “It marked another step toward reaching global agreements,” in which BBVA has actively participated. He highlighted the banking sector´s role in providing support and advice in the energy transition process.

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.