The steel sector is responsible for seven percent of global CO2 emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Thanks to cleantech companies like H2 Green Steel they are making headway in more sustainable production, reducing emissions by up to 95 percent in key processes.

Photo: Midjourney (AI)

The BBVA Chair recalled this Wednesday that the BBVA Sabadell transaction has received over 27 approvals, including from the CNMC, following a process that has been “more rigorous and longer than ever before.” In an interview with Carlos Alsina on Onda Cero’s ‘Más de uno’ show, Carlos Torres Vila underscored that the integration with Banco Sabadell is a transaction between two private actors. “The truth is that what really serves the public interest is for Banco Sabadell shareholders to be able to decide whether to accept the offer,” he said. “We are confident that they will decide to join this great project.”

Ever wanted to manage your money better but weren’t sure where to start? BBVA has taken another step forward in its commitment to improving the financial health of its customers by launching a coach based on artificial intelligence (AI) that supports them in every financial decision. Integrated into the bank’s mobile app, the personal trainer analyzes your circumstances, helps you set goals, and suggests tailored plans so you can achieve your financial goals step by step.

The Blue Breath project was launched in 2021 by Garanti BBVA in collaboration with DenizTemiz Derneği/TURMEPA to protect Turkish marine ecosystems. Over the past four years, Blue Breath has worked with a variety of stakeholders to carry out clean-up projects, training sessions, and other environmental protection initiatives.

BBVA Global Head of Sustainability and Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Javier Rodríguez Soler affirmed that “BBVA is the 4th largest bank financing data centers in the U.S.,” based on data from January 1 through May 29, 2025*. During an event organized by the Spain–U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Houston, Rodríguez Soler said that “the U.S. will continue to be a strategic growth market for BBVA.”

Photo credit: Spain–U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Bank of Spain has informed BBVA of its new minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL), the regulatory framework that requires banks to have sufficient funds to absorb losses in case of crisis.  Starting June 12, 2025, BBVA must maintain a buffer of 23.13 percent of the total risk-weighted assets (including the parent company, BBVA S.A and its subsidiaries in Europe). With an MREL ratio of 33.20 percent at the end of March 2025, the bank already far exceeds this threshold, and also meets the additional requirements for subordination and capital buffers.

The structural evolution of the financial landscape demands a constant pursuit of long-term value creation, strategic risk management, and progress towards more sustainable business models. BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (BBVA CIB) takes an active role in addressing this reality through a global and specialised offering for its wholesale clients—designed to tackle today’s challenges while building tomorrow’s opportunities.

Scaling up ‘cleantech’ (also known as clean technologies) means expanding innovative projects, those that aim to decarbonize the economy, so they can grow and adapt to market demand. To do so, adequate financing is fundamental in order to produce and distribute this technology at a greater scale and lower cost, boosting competitiveness and the reindustrialization process. According to Cleantech for Europe, banks remain, by far, “the largest financial institutions in Europe” contributing to this effort.

The bank offers tailored solutions that help large corporations tackle the challenges of the energy transition, regulatory environment, and the decarbonisation of production models. With a global presence and specialized approach, BBVA CIB supports its clients across five strategic sectors — energy, infrastructure and construction, industry and transportation, TMT, and consumer, retail and leisure — with the goal of becoming their financial partner of reference.

The first edition of Global Finance AI in Finance Awards named BBVA the best bank in Spain for its artificial intelligence strategy, both within the organization and in its financial solutions for individuals. The publication also recognized one of BBVA’s revenue forecasting tools as the top AI risk management solution in Mexico and Latin America.

Image generated with Artificial Intelligence (Midjourney)

Maya Ackerman, known for her research in algorithmic music composition, reflected at BBVA's FinAI Summit on whether artificial intelligence is creative and how it can help humans achieve better results when developing their own creations.  Far from competing with human ingenuity, AI is emerging as an ally capable of unlocking ideas, inspiring new approaches, and enhancing our creative potential.

With the latest update to Garanti BBVA’s mobile app, customers can leave their cards at home. GarantiPay allows users to make payments in stores or online using the GarantiPay and NFC contactless payment options  on their smartphones.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise offers a wide range of digital solutions, catering to every financial need in the life cycle of the self-employed and SMEs and covering their entire ecosystem. It delivers services across all digital channels to streamline and accelerate business processes. The self-employed and SMEs are able to perform a variety of financial transactions, such as applying for credit, drawing on commercial loans, obtaining letters of guarantee, arranging checkbooks, and requesting POS terminals, all via Garanti BBVA’s mobile or internet channels without ever needing to visit a branch.

BBVA’s smart  ‘discrete mode’ in its app detects when more than one pair of eyes is looking at the screen and hides sensitive information. Therefore, you can do your banking and view and manage your cards anywhere, while keeping your financial data private, making it illegible to onlookers and possible cybercriminals. Below we tell you how to activate this feature.

BBVA’s Country Manager in Spain, Peio Belausteguigoitia, confirmed on Thursday that an ample majority of Catalan SMEs stand to benefit from the remedies agreed to by BBVA with Spain’s National Markets and Competition Authority (CNMC). He made these remarks during a meeting with the Business Association of L’Hospitalet and Baix Llobregat (AEBALL), where he doubled down on the importance of strengthening the European business ecosystem to compete on equal terms with other major economies.

BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila explained why the union with Banco Sabadell will have a positive impact on the public interest and is beneficial for the customers of both banks, their shareholders and employees, and society as a whole. “It's a positive move for Catalonia, Spain, and Europe,” he said last week in a series of interviews with Cadena COPE, RAC1 and El Periódico. Torres Vila emphasized that Banco Sabadell customers will have access to a network of more than twice as many branches and almost three times as many ATMs, a wider range of products, greater ease for international expansion for companies, and a bank with greater lending capacity (up to an additional €5 billion per year).  It is also a good deal for employees, who will have more opportunities, and for shareholders, who will benefit from a transaction that will lead to higher earnings per share and greater stability given BBVA's geographical diversification.

Garanti BBVA Crypto recently launched a variety of advanced new features on its mobile app. With nearly 100,000 users, the app is powered by the bank’s robust infrastructure and highest quality standards, ensuring a simple, fast and secure investment experience.

Jaime Sáenz de Tejada, Global Head of Commercial & Institutional Client Solutions, stated that “one in four companies in Spain chose BBVA in 2024, a figure that is even more impressive in Catalonia, where one in three companies chose BBVA.”

By getting involved, BBVA will help identify barriers, share best practices, and co-create financial instruments that accelerate improvements in energy efficiency and the decarbonization of the European building stock and industry.

Front cover photo: © European Union, 2025. Source: EC – Audiovisual Service.(CC BY 4.0)

BBVA is launching a new version of its app in Spain, with a unique native code that is scalable and exportable to all countries where the bank operates. This technological overhaul, which  includes an ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) integration, marks a turning point in digital banking. It represents a decisive commitment to personalization, with a radically enhanced user experience. The new app multiplies the benefits of being a customer: direct access to cards and Bizum to make fast, simple payments, personalized savings plans and a financial coach to help manage finances, among other new developments.

BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) has delivered a record-breaking first quarter 2025, achieving a top position in the Corporates Yankee Euro Capital Market.

Garanti BBVA Asset Management has succeeded in building an investment fund topping 600 billion TL in the year to date, thanks to a consistently strong performance and the trust and support of its investors.

In recent weeks, the role of the financial conglomerate has drawn renewed attention.  Some observers argue that several European banks are seeking to expand into insurance, hoping to qualify as conglomerates and benefit from more favorable capital requirements under the so-called Danish compromise.  But does this classification always serve a bank’s interests?  The answer hinges on the bank’s business model.  For some, the fit is natural; for others, it’s like slipping into shoes that are simply too big: awkward and ill-suited to their needs.

The bank has expanded its partnership with the tech giant from 3,300 to 11,000 ChatGPT Enterprise licences, as part of its plan to extend generative AI capabilities across the entire organisation. Employees report that automating routine tasks with this tool allows them to save an average of nearly three hours of work per week, which they can then dedicate to strategic tasks. More than 80% of licensed users use it daily. BBVA offers training, has created a community to share best practices, and encourages internal innovation through idea ‘hackathons’.

The cleantech ecosystem is advancing at different rates. While technologies such as solar and wind power are already consolidated, innovations such as carbon capture and green hydrogen still have a long way to go. Reaching the maturity of these solutions is key to  sustainability and requires strategic investment to accelerate global decarbonization.

The current geopolitical context, combined with the urgent need to finance the green and digital transitions in Europe, makes it increasingly necessary to unlock the full potential of the EU’s currently fragmented capital markets. The goal is to make them more efficient and better equipped to compete with more developed markets elsewhere.