Óscar García

December 4 is the International Day of Banks. This year we must also celebrate that there are already 200 banks, including BBVA —which is among the founders— that have signed the Principles of Responsible Banking declaration. Together, they form the largest international coalition of financial institutions working together to integrate sustainability at the heart of their businesses and to align this with their commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals.

One of the paradoxical consequences of the global crisis triggered by the COVID-19 is its impact on the environment. The quarantine is causing sharp declines in pollutant emissions across the world’s most populated cities.

BBVA considers protecting the health of its customers and employees a priority, following the state of emergency declared in Spain due to coronavirus. For this reason, the bank recommends that customers do their banking on digital channels (the bbva.es website, the mobile app and BBVA Line) as well as with the more than 2,000 remote advisers. Specifically, the bank’s app makes it possible to bank remotely easily and with total security, and offers an array of tools to help customers control their expenses and personal finances effectively. It is no surprise that for the third year in a row, Forrester Research named it the world’s best mobile banking app in 2019.

Twenty experts discussed the future of social entrepreneurship at the closing event of BBVA Momentum’s most international year yet. The event in Madrid brought together entrepreneurs from Mexico, Colombia, the United States, and Turkey. BBVA Momentum 2019 closed its most recent edition with an event where participating social entrepreneurs showcased their projects and sustainability played a central role.

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.

The 2015 BBVA-El Celler de Can Roca tour has successfully completed this second edition as the world gastronomic event of the year. Joan Roca, the chef responsible for savory dishes, Josep Roca, the maitre d' and sommelier, and Jordi Roca, the pastry chef, have prepared a total of 30,000 dishes for 1,600 BBVA customers and guests. The Roca brothers, the owners of El Celler de Can Roca, chosen as best restaurant in the world in 2015, have prepared specialties as a tribute to the gastronomy and local culture of each country they visited: the United States, Argentina and Turkey.