On April 21, 2021, 43 financial institutions from around the world formed the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA).   BBVA now celebrates its first anniversary as a founding member by leading progress in the financial sector toward a more sustainable world.

BBVA has reinforced its commitment to the environment by releasing its third report according to recommendations issued by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). In a TCFD report, companies showcase their environmental activities and provide information on risks and opportunities around climate change.

BBVA has published an update of its report on the risks and opportunities of climate change in accordance with the Task Force Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) standard, with data as of December 2020. This report reflects BBVA's progress in sustainability. Since its first publication in October 2020, it has already incorporated climate risk into the management of all the bank's businesses and its commitment to accompany customers towards a more sustainable future.

In 2020, BBVA allocated €79.1 million (55.6 percent of its total investment in social programs) to initiatives in support of education, knowledge and culture, benefiting 5.6 million people. In addition, over 2.2 million users accessed the content on education, science, culture and economics, which was provided by the bank through the digital platforms for its initiatives and programs. The BBVA Foundation and its activities also benefited 3.5 million people.

Global Finance recognized BBVA as the world’s best investment bank for sustainable finance at the latest edition of its awards ‘Best Investment Bank Awards 2021’. A global recognition that joins the bank’s other awards for the best equity bank in Western Europe and the best investment bank in Argentina, Spain and Turkey.

The pandemic and the subsequent health protection measures have forced the bank to adapt the actions planned for its employees this Christmas. The traditional Christmas festivities have been replaced by global digital celebrations and a donation to three NGOs that provide support to the sectors of society that have suffered the most during the crisis.

The BBVA Chairman kicked off MoneyFest, this year’s virtual edition of Money2020. In an interview with Spriha Srivastava, Executive Editor overseeing the London Newsroom of Business Insider, he shared his insights into the trends that the pandemic has accelerated, such as digitization and sustainability. Carlos Torres Vila considers that this crisis can be an “opportunity to reset our world.” In this sense, he noted that the “infusion of public funds must contribute to achieve a more digital, sustainable and inclusive society.”

Both organizations have announced a global collaboration agreement to promote equality among girls and young people with a focus on female role-models. "We are convinced that we can curb the impact of gender stereotypes in a simple and effective way, by teaching girls about successful women that can help them become aware of all the opportunities within their reach", said BBVA global head of Talent and Culture Carlos Casas.

BBVA illuminated the main building at its company headquarters in Madrid—La Vela—to mark the fifth anniversary of the launching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BBVA opted for the color blue of the United Nations flag to commemorate the date on which 193 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda at UN headquarters in New York.

Today, international banks BBVA, BNP Paribas, ING, Société Générale and Standard Chartered (also known as ‘the Katowice Banks’) published a report on the application of the PACTA methodology, designed to steer their credit portfolios towards the objective of the Paris Climate Agreement. This report aims at helping banking peers to quickly understand and apply this methodology and thus publish comparable results.

• BBVA invested €40.6 million in sustainable and social programs in Latin America in 2019
• In its 13 years of service, the BBVA Microfinance Foundation has helped more than five million people
• BBVA delivers innovative financial education programs in Mexico
• BBVA Argentina is the first private bank to launch a line of personal eco-loans
• BBVA in Colombia closes a line of green guarantees to build the Bogota metro
• In Peru, BBVA leads the way in using the Environmental Ministry’s carbon footprint tool
• Sustainable finance in the region: BBVA, breaking new ground with deals in the wholesale market

The bank — which has committed to securing €100 billion in sustainable financing between 2018 and 2025 as part of its contribution in the fight against climate change — reached 40 percent of its sustainable financing target in June 2020. This figure includes transactions in green and social financing (62 percent of the total), social entrepreneurism and financial inclusion (13 percent), sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness (11 percent), and other sustainable sources (14 percent).

- INFOGRAPHIC: Here you can see the breakdown of the BBVA Commitment 2025

BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability’s grant program has selected the financial education research projects that will receive financing this year. One of the novelties of this edition is that seven grants will be given this year, instead of five like in previous years. A total of 40 projects from 23 countries were presented.

BBVA USA announced earlier this week that it would close offices across its footprint in commemoration of Juneteenth, creating an opportunity to cultivate a deeper understanding of our individual and collective roles in standing against systemic racism and social injustice.

The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability’s grant program for financial education researchers, BBVA EduFin Research Grants, continues to grow each year. Despite the crisis caused by the global pandemic, the call for applicants saw a greater geographic reach, making this year the most international yet. The overall number of applications also increased.

The project was created with the aim of promoting the work of farmers, ranchers, fishermen and wineries across Spain through easy and delicious recipes. Every month, the Roca brothers will select the best ingredients in season and come up with a proposal of how to cook them. Subscribers will receive a box of products in their kitchen, along with a recipe, the stories of the farmers behind the selected products and healthy advice to make the most of each ingredient. This content will be available to anyone on the ‘Sustainable gastronomy’ platform.

BBVA USA will close all offices across its footprint at 1pm Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

June 15 marks the end of the submission phase of the third edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, the research grant program promoted by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability to support the efforts of experts and researchers focusing in the field of financial education and inclusion. The program represents a unique opportunity to secure the level of funding and the visibility that many projects need to keep making progress.

I don’t have words to describe the sadness I’ve felt the past few days. The killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have reverberated through the bank’s communities like a shockwave, amplifying the ongoing, anguished suffering of Black men and women across the country and acting as a tipping point for calls for change.

As part of BBVA’s Community Investment Plan, BBVA has allocated €9.8 million to entrepreneurship initiatives, benefiting 2.2 million people in 2019. It is therefore fulfilling its commitment to entrepreneurship as the driver of opportunities for people, creating a positive impact on their lives in all countries where BBVA has a presence.

The BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability announced its decision to extend the deadline for the submission of applications for its research grants for financial education projects (EduFin Research Grants) through October 8. The call for submissions was announced on July 13, with the original deadline set on Friday, September 24. With this deadline extension, prospective candidates are now given two more weeks to submit their applications.

True to its commitment to customers and clients, shareholders and employees and in compliance with its fiscal transparency pledge, BBVA has released its Total Tax Contribution report, as it voluntarily does every year since 2011. BBVA's fiscal strategy is aligned with the OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project and the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the protection of Human Rights.

March 18 marks the start of the application period of this year’s edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, a program organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education  and Capabilities. The international call for grants invites candidates to submit their research proposals focusing on a range of topics related to financial education across the world.

BBVA today released its 2019 annual compensation report for its board members, the first that includes sustainability as a non-financial indicator in the variable compensation for the executive chairman. In 2020, the CEO will also have an indicator that will measure the bank’s strategic commitment to climate change and sustainable development. The 2019 compensation policy (applicable for 2019, 2020 and 2021) was already announced last year. It was approved with 94.8 percent of the votes at the Annual General Meeting in March last year.

Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index has once again included BBVA in its annual report analyzing companies’ commitment to this issue. The bank is one of 325 companies listed in this edition, of which over one third come from the financial industry. Garanti BBVA, the Group’s subsidiary in Turkey, is also part of the index.

BBVA is expanding its range of sustainable products. Starting on December 2nd, the bank will begin selling sustainable financial contracts. BBVA will invest the amount obtained from customers in companies that are considered sustainable based on certain criteria for inclusion, which will determine the green, social or sustainable nature of the investment.