Garanti BBVA´s pioneering initiatives aim to fight climate change and achieve a more sustainable world. On the occasion of the Corporate Governance Forum at Sabancı University, the institution launched a climate index in collaboration with CDP Turkey and the Turkish stock exchange.

On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the European Bank for Reconstructionand Development (EBRD) recently held a conference on climate change. Ebru Dildar Edin, Executive Vice President of Garanti BBVA explained how the BBVA Turkish Unit’s climate related strategic decision have helped itstrengthen its position against eventual crises.

BBVA granted FONPLATA a structured loan for $100 million that will allow this development bank to finance support programs aimed at tackling the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. This structured loan is part of FONPLATA's strategy to diversify its sources of financing.

BBVA and Alstom have signed a €400m guarantee facility. This deal is a milestone for both companies, as it is both Alstom's first green guarantee facility and also the first BBVA has signed with a client in France.

BBVA placed €1.04 billion through two social bonds in 2020, the funds of which were mainly used to help micro- and small companies through ICO-guaranteed loans, in the case of Spain. In total, 15,175 companies with a total of 207,628 employees have benefited. This is shown in the 'BBVA 2020 green and social bond report'. The report highlights that, since the 2018 publication of the framework for issuing bonds linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the emission of more than 2.3 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere has been avoided, through the projects financed with BBVA's green bonds in 12 countries; a figure that is equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 913,000 cars.

BBVA recently brought together its wholesale clients with sustainability and digitization experts in a conference centered on the future of transaction banking. Companies such as Acciona, PepsiCo and Tigo Colombia had the opportunity to present their sustainable and digital development models, in which BBVA's transactional banking products have played a key role.

Ebru Dildar Edin participated as one of the guest speakers in 'For a Future without Carbon Emissions', one of the seminars held during the sixth edition of the Global Hope Festival, an event that intends to raise awareness among society about sustainability.

BBVA expands its offer of sustainable and innovative products with the launch of financial contracts linked to thematic investment strategies. From June 4 until June 22, BBVA's retail customers in Spain can invest in a sustainable financial contract linked to an ESG investment strategy.

Within a sustainable finance framework, BBVA continues to provide innovative solutions to support Turkey's fight against climate change. This time it's launched new commercial green loans for real estate developers that build and sell buildings with aspecific type of energy certification.

Emre Hatem, Director of Investment Banking and Finance at Garanti BBVA, took part in a webinar organized by The Bosphorus Energy Club in collaboration with PwC on Turkey’s readiness for the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement and environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG).

BBVA has executed its first sustainability-linked interest rate swap for the glass bottle design and manufacturing company Vidrala. The conditions of this product are tied to the company reducing its carbon footprint, and will allow it to transform variable flows into fixed flows, thus reducing the interest rate risk.

BBVA has been the global coordinator and sustainable co-agent of Iberdrola's new  €2.5 billion multi-currency syndicated loan. This operation, which was linked to two sustainable indicators, constitutes an industry milestone as it´s referenced to Risk Free Rates (RFR), which replace LIBOR and which will serve as a model for future financing in Spain. It's also a unique transaction since Iberdrola has committed to donating part of its adjusted margin to sustainable projects.

BBVA and Funespaña formalized a sustainability-linked loan with KPI metrics, becoming the first case of sustainable financing in the Spanish funeral sector which will include three sustainability indicators. The seven-year financing in which the fixed interest rate that the company will pay depends on the fulfillment of three indicators, one environmental and two social. To carry out the operation the bank acted as a sustainable coordinator and Valora as a sustainable consultant.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed today that the energy transition poses a great opportunity because many existing activities will see enormous growth as new activities will emerge. “Spain has a competitive advantage in the energy transition,” he said. “We have the natural resource - the new oil, which is the sun and the wind,” he added during his presentation on the second day of Wake up Spain, the energy transition symposium organized by El Español, Invertia and D+I.

BBVA and Enel have signed a €1.35 billion sustainable linked guarantee facility. This guarantee facility, the largest of its kind signed by Enel Group, is an essential and necessary financial tool for the company’s entire operations: production, transport and distribution of electricity and gas, and public lighting services.

ESG criteria refer to environmental, social and corporate governance factors that are taken into account when investing in a company. Although their origin dates back several decades, they have become a reference for socially responsible investing in recent years.

BBVA reinforces its leading position in the European sustainable bond issuance. On this occasion, the bank has acted as sole green structurer and bookrunner for the successful issuance of the green bonds of Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc (SHET), an electricity transmission company and subsidiary of SSE plc. With this dual tranche transaction, the company consolidates its position as the UK's most active utility in ESG bond financing.

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.

BBVA and Acerinox make history by closing the first sustainable transaction in the steel industry in Spain. The deal, a bilateral loan totaling €80 million with a maturity of five years, is intended to partially finance the Acerinox acquisition of VDM Metals.

Growing interest in sustainability across all segments of society has led to innovations in sustainable finance offerings, specifically in the world of corporate financing. Issuances of bonds linked to sustainability criteria are among the latest market developments. Analysts at BBVA Global Markets Research explain the basics and share with us their view of the product.

The projects financed with green bonds issued by BBVA in 2018 and 2019 avoided a total of 724.000 tons in CO2eq atmospheric emissions, almost three times than the previous year. This amount is equivalent to what more than 285,000 cars emit in one year, thus contributing to reduce the carbon footprint. This is one of the key takeaways of BBVA’s green bond report.

The European Commission has published its taxonomy for sustainable finance, a classification instrument to help financial players and companies determine which activities qualify as sustainable. Investments in projects and activities that pursue the European Union’s environmental goals contribute to the transition towards a low carbon economy.

Carlos Torres Vila presented BBVA’s 2019 results today, “a year with record-high income” for the bank. BBVA’s Group executive chairman went over the bank’s biggest accomplishments since the presentation of the strategy in 2015 and also announced new strategic priorities. Of these, he emphasized two. On the one hand, “we want BBVA to be a trusted partner to improve our customers financial health”. And on the other, “we want to help them in the transition to a sustainable future.”

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.

Green is more than a color. In our collective imagination it symbolizes nature and is associated with caring for the environment. We need a green future so the world will continue to be the place we know today and not the foreboding future as depicted by gloomy predictions. BBVA is aware of this and for years has been committed to green and social financing. In fact, it is one of the banks most recognized for its activity in sustainable financing.

BBVA reaffirms its commitment to the fight against climate change and responsible banking with the expansion of its framework for sustainable transactional products, which was published at the beginning of the year. With it, the bank seeks to make different sustainable financial solutions available to a greater number of clients.

These days the term sustainability seems to cover everything, and financial institutions are adapting to this new way of understanding the economy. In a gradual but unstoppable fashion, companies are incorporating sustainability criteria in their management. As a result, private and institutional investors are starting to call for global sustainable investment indexes that are rational, solid and reliable to allow them to monitor the evolving profitability of their sustainable investments.

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.”

As sustainable fashion moves closer to the mainstream, it is starting to be recognized as an efficient way of curbing the impact of one of the planet’s most polluting industries. The industry’s social enterprises cool eco-friendly designs are winning the hearts and pockets of consumers.