Global Finance award underscores recent sustainability moves by BBVA USA
BBVA was recently named Best Investment Bank for Sustainable Financing by Global Finance as part of its 22nd annual World’s Best Investment Banks survey.
In naming the global winners, Publisher and Editorial Director Joseph D. Giarraputo pointed out the role investment banks will play in the world post-pandemic, specifically mentioning the importance of understanding the skills and specialties that these banks bring. For BBVA USA, sustainability is a clear differentiating factor and has become especially important over the past year.
“In a world that has been forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice of sustainability has never been more important,” said BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler. “It’s critical socially, in order to create a more inclusive, equitable and healthy society with opportunities for all, but it’s also increasingly becoming a core competency to companies across industries, and for those companies, it's important to know who is advanced in understanding the business of sustainability. In this, BBVA is clearly a leader.”
In just the past six months, BBVA USA has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and sustainable financing in its products, services and sharing of expertise:
- In December 2020, the bank was announced as the sole Sustainable Agent & Coordinator, and as a Documentation Agent, Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner in Invitation Homes’ $3.5 billion syndicated sustainability-linked credit facility. Invitation Homes was the first U.S. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to both link an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) score to pricing grid and to name a Sustainable Agent & Coordinator for their sustainability-linked revolving credit facility (RCF).
- BBVA USA announced in October 2020 that it was discounting rates on secured term loans for fuel-efficient commercial vehicles.
- In September 2020, BBVA USA launched its first sustainability-focused commercial real estate loan.
- BBVA announced in January 2021 that it has achieved half of its Pledge 2025 sustainable financing objective, a full year ahead of schedule.
Rodriguez Soler also shared his thoughts on the value of ESG and sustainability in his blog posts “Moving sustainability from awareness to action and beyond” and “The importance of ESG in 2020.”
BBVA also boasts several green real estate properties in its footprint, including its corporate office building in Houston, which opened its doors in 2013, and achieved a LEED® Gold certification, the second-highest certification in the system.
In recent months, BBVA USA has gathered several honors. Global Finance recognized BBVA USA for Outstanding Crisis Leadership, while GoBankingRates named BBVA USA in three categories in its Best Banks of 2021 rankings and MyBankTracker crowned it one of the Best South Regional Banks for 2021. BBVA USA was also recognized by Greenwich Associates in November in two customer experience honors, including leader in the research firm’s commercial middle market and small business banking lists, where only a handful of U.S. banks were recognized.
For more information about the Global Finance Best Investment Banks list, click here.
For more on BBVA USA, visit www.bbvausa.com.