On 8 March, the European Commission -EC- released its Action Plan -AP- on Financing Sustainable Growth under the Capital Markets Union initiative. The AP significantly relies upon the Final Report of the High-Level Expert Group released on 31 January.

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.

BBVA Compass clients and Dallas community leaders gathered downtown Thursday night at Café Momentum, where the former juvenile offenders who power the restaurant prepared and served attendees a haute-cuisine meal and gave them a firsthand look at social entrepreneur Chad Houser’s ambitious venture to rehabilitate the youth and help them reenter society.

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 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.

Switzerland is currently the world’s largest private banking center, accounting for 25% of the global market. The country has a deep-rooted wealth management tradition, offering the perfect combination of experience, precision and a strong work ethic within a highly unstable geopolitical environment.

A year ago BBVA launched a project that reflects its commitment to financial education: the Center for Financial Education and Capability, whose goal is to foster knowledge in the area of financial education and inclusion.

Diana Mejía, a senior specialist in productive and financial development at CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and member of BBVA EduFin Advisory Council, is an expert in measuring the financial capabilities of people in Latin America. The results obtained  in the last CAF financial education surveys found a gap between the financial products offered and the needs of the population, especially in terms of savings.