The growing importance of sustainable finance in the global agenda, as one of the key elements to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Paris Agreement on Climate change. This was the content of the debate of the second panel of the BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum, an event that convened in Madrid business leaders, investors and institutional representatives.

BBVA opened its headquarters in Madrid to welcome investors, business leaders, public and private institutions and the media, to an event aimed at promoting sustainable development and the fight against climate change. During the first edition of the ‘BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum,’ Group Executive Chairman Francisco González explained the reason for the meeting: “Banks need to help customers drive sustainable development and transition towards a low-carbon economy. At BBVA, we want to be the catalysts of this change.” Francisco González opened the event alongside Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, Vice-President of the Government of Spain.

As flagged in the announcement of its strategy for climate change and sustainable development in its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, BBVA has unveiled its framework for the issue of SDG-linked sustainable bonds.

Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, has been chosen to represent European banks on the Global Steering Committee of the UNEP FI Sustainable Finance Forum from 2018-2020. The candidacy led by Ballabriga was the most voted of a total of eight candidates in the running.