BBVA reasserts its commitment to sustainability with its 2019 shareholder meeting
For the second consecutive year, BBVA’s General Annual Meeting, to be held in Bilbao on March 15, has been certified by AENOR as a sustainable event in accordance with ISO 20121. Changes this year include improved accessibility for all participants and an increased number of suppliers committed to the sustainability of the event.
Earning the AENOR certification for the second year in a row demonstrates that during the planning of the event BBVA carefully considered the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of the shareholder meeting – during both its organization and execution.
The assessment of the General Annual Meeting’s sustainability is based on three factors:
- The environmental aspect, for which BBVA has focused on minimizing resource consumption, reducing the emission of harmful gases, protecting the surroundings, and promoting a recycling policy.
- The social aspect, for which BBVA has been a driving force to ensure the accessibility of the venue, the Euskalduna Conference Center, in addition to prompting the hiring of at-risk (of social exclusion) workers for the set-up of the event.
- The economic aspect, for which BBVA prioritized the sourcing of local Basque products from regional suppliers, where possible.
BBVA is unequivocal in its commitment to ensuring accessibility to the Annual Meeting, guaranteeing that each and every shareholder who attends the event can do so safely and self-sufficiently. This year, escorts will be available to anyone who might want assistance. Similarly, anyone who may need assistance when attending the event can request it in advance on the web page. In addition, the Euskalduna Conference Center and Concert Hall, where the General Meeting will be held, has an accessibility management system to address any accessibility shortcomings.
As an additional change, this year the venue has been equipped with a sound amplification system to help people with hearing difficulties better hear the presentations.
Finally it should be noted that all documentation used in the General Annual Meeting has been produced on sustainable paper, endorsed with an FSC certificate, which guarantees that it has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly and socially responsible manner.