Citizens, companies, city councils and institutions from all over the world will turn off the lights this Saturday, March 28 for Earth Hour to fight against climate change and the loss of biodiversity. BBVA participates for yet another year in this initiative organized by the World Wildlife Fund, turning off a hundred headquarters, corporate buildings and branches spread throughout all the countries where the bank is present.
For one hour each year, thousands of iconic buildings and monuments around the world turn off their lights. Earth Hour has become one of the largest global initiatives in defense of the environment. This year it will take place on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. At that time, citizens, companies, municipalities and institutions around the world will voluntarily carry out a massive blackout. This is the case of BBVA, which once again will participate in this initiative by turning off 78 buildings, including corporate headquarters, and 53 branches spread across 68 cities where the bank has a presence (Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Türkiye, Uruguay).
This initiative marks its 20th anniversary by drawing attention to the issue of climate change. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) organized Earth Hour for the first time in Sydney in 2007. Since then, every year, individuals and organizations from all over the world have participated in the initiative.
There is an urgent need to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. However, the World Wildlife Fund warns that the planet has already warmed 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels and it is possible to reach the 1.5°C threshold by 2030. "We want to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Hour by focusing on what we have achieved since its inception, because in a time of global uncertainty like the one we are experiencing, we all need hope," explains Juan Carlos del Olmo, Secretary General of WWF Spain.
This increase in global temperature has resulted in extreme weather events such as floods, heat waves, and devastating fires, which are becoming more frequent, explains the World Wildlife Fund.
BBVA's commitment to sustainability
BBVA aims to accompany and help its clients move towards a more sustainable world. To achieve this, it has placed sustainability at the center of its business and is one of its six strategic priorities to address three major challenges: fighting climate change, conserving natural capital and promoting inclusive growth.
In climate action, BBVA will channel 700 billion euros in sustainable business from 2025 to 2029, more than doubling its previus target of 300 billion euros for the 2018-2025 period.
Over the past year, BBVA’s sustainable business has continued to grow at a strong pace in 2025. The bank has channelled €134,000 million, representing a 44% increase compared to the previous year and setting an annual record for the financial institution.