Strategy

BBVA is providing sustainability training for 937 employees from 688 suppliers across 22 countries through the Capacity Building Program: Sustainable Suppliers. Participation linked to the bank has increased in 2026, with 58 percent growth in 2026 in enrolled individuals, a 65 percent increase in the number of suppliers and 69 percent growth in the number of countries compared with the previous year. The initiative is led by the United Nations Global Compact Spain, ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the ICO Foundation.

The United Nations Global Compact has selected BBVA’s experience implementing a sustainability assessment model as a case study for UN Academy, its global platform for corporate learning. In 2025, BBVA evaluated 5,200 suppliers using this model, compared to 4,600 in 2024.

During the recent London Climate Action Week, several BBVA leaders cautioned how physical climate risk is no longer solely a sustainability issue but has become a key consideration in business and investment decisions. According to Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Sustainability Intelligence at BBVA, “the ability to adapt to climate change has become a competitive advantage for companies.”

BBVA has announced a €5 million donation to support the humanitarian response in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Venezuela. The contribution will support initiatives launched by UNICEF, UNHCR and the Red Cross, and other local organizations, both to address the most urgent needs and to contribute to subsequent reconstruction efforts. In addition, the BBVA Group has launched fundraising campaigns among clients and employees to expand support for the emergency and has rolled out other initiatives to support the population during this initial phase of the emergency.

BBVA allocated €191.5 million to social programs and initiatives in 2025 globally, an increase of 7.5 percent over 2024. 7.7 million people directly benefited from these activities, which mainly focused on education, accounting for 68 percent of the total resources. These efforts aimed to facilitate access to opportunities and support people and communities in their development.

BBVA Mexico acted as joint placement agent for the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) in the year’s second joint issuance of BONDESG and Bonos MS fixed-rate bonds.

BBVA channeled €36 billion into sustainable business in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 33 percent over the same period in the previous year. Of this amount, €12.6 billion came from Spain. This activity allows the bank’s clients to gain access to financing and solutions for the energy transition, efficient resource use and social challenges. With this achievement, the bank has reached a total of €170 billion toward its €700 billion target for the 2025 – 2029 period.

BBVA channeled €30 billion into sustainable business for social activities in 2025, 52% more than in 2024, accelerating its growth rate. Activity was distributed across financing for entrepreneurs and microbusinesses, financing for the construction of social infrastructure, products for financial inclusion, social bond placements, loans linked to social indicators, and financing for clients whose activities generate a social impact.

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.

BBVA’s sustainable business continued to grow at a strong pace in 2025. The bank channeled €134 billion, representing 44 percent growth over 2024. This figure marks an annual record for the financial institution, which aims to mobilize €700 billion between 2025 and 2029.

Achieving significant business growth and committing to ambitious climate action are not mutually exclusive, as demonstrated by the UK’s Atom bank, an app based savings and lending firm that BBVA has invested in since 2016. The bank's most recent annual Sustainability Report underscores key achievements in its commitment to becoming climate positive from 2035, notably a 22% reduction in operational emissions concurrent with a period of record balance sheet growth.

Sustainability is one of BBVA's strategic priorities. In 2025, the Group has carried out significant sustainable operations across its main geographies—Spain, Mexico, Türkiye, South America, and through BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (BBVA CIB)—in line with its goal of supporting customers through their transition and generating new business opportunities around climate, natural capital, and social issues.

“COP30 will put the world’s ability to turn promises into results to the test. The conference aims to move from climate ambition to effective implementation and measurable commitments,” according to BBVA Research. “Although climate research exists, it is not sufficient and must accelerate at COP30,” a recent report by the research service concluded.

Garanti BBVA made history in Türkiye by isuing the first biodiversity blue bond, a landmark transaction aimed at protecting marine ecosystems. The $20.22 million bond has a three year maturity and will be used to support the sustainable management of marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin.

BBVA’s sustainable business continues to grow, now at a faster pace than ever. The bank channeled around €97 billion into sustainable business in the first three quarters of 2025 alone, representing a 48 percent¹ increase compared with the same period of the previous year and not far off the €99 billion channeled throughout all of 2024. Notably, in the third quarter alone, it mobilized upward of €34 billion, setting a new quarterly record.

BBVA is the first financial institution to join Iberia’s Círculo SAF, a community dedicated to supporting the development of the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry and promoting lower emissions into the atmosphere.

From January to August 2025, BBVA reached €3.1 billion in agrifood business, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2024. Of this amount, €2.09 billion corresponded to sustainable business, with 82 percent YoY growth. BBVA announced these figures at Fruit Attraction, one of the world’s top fruit and vegetable trade fairs, held this week in Madrid.

BBVA, as a founding member (and only bank), has joined the Coalition for Sustainable Procurement, a global alliance led by the United Nations Global Compact that seeks to mainstream sustainability into procurement processes and supply chains internationally.

BBVA's Head of Talent and Culture in Spain, Yolanda Martínez Bajo, and the CEO of Fundación ONCE, José Luis Martínez Donoso, have signed the ‘Inserta Empleo’ agreement to promote employment for people with disabilities.

In 2024, BBVA channeled €27 billion to boost the sustainable business and fund development projects in its emerging markets (Mexico, South America and Turkey), which represents a 60 percent increase over 2023. Meanwhile, the BBVA Microfinance Foundation allocated €1.5 billion in lending to vulnerable entrepreneurs in 2024.

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.

Garanti BBVA has contributed over $440 million in support to the Turkish economy by renewing its existing syndicated loan.

The BBVA Group has accomplished its 2025 Community Investment Objective a year ahead of schedule, aimed at fostering the development of the societies in which it operates. Between 2021 and 2024, the financial institution channeled €594 million into social endeavors, reaching out to nearly 106 million people

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)

In the first quarter of 2025, BBVA channeled approximately €29 billion into sustainable business initiatives, marking a 55 percent increase on the same period in 2024. This figure is part of the bank’s new target of channeling €700 billion into the sustainable business between 2025 and 2029, more than  double its previous target and also raising the bar, given the shorter timeframe involved (five years versus eight).

For the third year running, BBVA has been busy promoting training in sustainability for 466 of its SME suppliers in 13 countries where it operates, showing an 11 percent improvement on the 2024 figure (418 companies). In total, 593 people will take part in the Sustainable Suppliers Training Program of the UN Global Compact (up 7 percent on the 552 in 2024).

For the fifth consecutive year, the bank will donate €300,000 to social organisations operating in the social and environmental spheres at its Annual General Meeting. The winning entities for 2025 are the Asociación Madrileña Para Ayuda del Recluso Abandonado, the Asindown Foundation, the Francisco Luzón Foundation, and the Scout Griebal Foundation.