Sustainability
Sustainability
The aviation industry consumes 380 billion liters of fuel every year, or three percent of global CO2 emissions. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are the most advanced cleantech alternative to decarbonize this industry, with innovations such as those of the startup Twelve, which have managed to reduce emissions by up to 90 percent compared to traditional fuels.
Clean technologies, also known as 'cleantech', are technologies that contribute to sustainability and care for the environment. This includes emissions reduction, biodiversity protection and water treatment.
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) recently recognized Garanti BBVA’s efforts in sustainable development by including the bank in its global ‘A’ List of its Climate Change and Water Security Programs.
At a meeting with Turkish media, CEO Mahmut Akten shared Garanti BBVA’s strategies and 2025 goals, while assessing the state of the global and Türkiye’s economies and the banking sector. Akten acknowledged ongoing global economic uncertainty but expressed optimism, citing Türkiye’s macroeconomic program and a balancing trend in the banking sector. The event, held at the Pendik Technology Campus, also included a visit to Garanti BBVA’s TIER IV-certified Data Center.
The announcement by Ursula von der Leyen on November 8th regarding the Omnibus initiative caught more than one person off guard and is still causing quite a stir. On this day, the re-elected President of the European Commission indicated her intention to present an initiative in 2025 to “reduce bureaucracy and the regulatory burden” related to sustainability. She specifically made reference to three regulations: the Taxonomy Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The BBVA Foundation is once again sponsoring the Salt Artistic Research and Production Grant Program, now in its 2025 edition. This initiative aims to create a dynamic platform for artistic research and production, supporting artists from Türkiye who explore contemporary social issues through interdisciplinary approaches.
BBVA channeled €99 billion in sustainable business in 2024, setting a new annual record for the Group. BBVA reached this target of €300 billion in the 2018-2025 period one year earlier than planned.
BBVA CEO Onur Genç proclaimed at The World Economic Forum that in the Iberian Peninsula “we have in front of us a great opportunity to promote cleantech investment on a major scale.” In his view, it is essential to harness the development of industrial clusters in Spain and Portugal to lead the energy transition in Europe. In this context, the Iberian Peninsula has tremendous potential to generate economic growth on the back of clean technologies.
Three micro-entrepreneurs running small cocoa farming businesses were the stars of ‘Seeds for a sustainable future’, an event organized by the BBVA Microfinance Foundation under the presidency of Queen Letizia of Spain. The Queen, who underlined the Foundation’s invaluable work in supporting the progress of millions of people, was accompanied by BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila and by renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca.
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Ken Follett is a well-known British writer, famous for his suspense and historical novels. He is great at creating complex plots and memorable characters. His career began to grow with Eye of the Needle in 1978. Later, The Pillars of the Earth in 1989 made him an international star. This book became a modern classic.
BBVA’s Turkish franchise secured its highest-ever score of 85 in the 2024 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), leading Türkiye’s banking sector once again. The bank also ranked 15th globally among 668 financial institutions assessed, further cementing its position as a leader in sustainability. S&P Global-CSA is one of the most respected platforms for evaluating corporate sustainability, providing a benchmark for international investors. The assessment covers areas such as business ethics, governance, risk management, climate action, transparency, and human rights.
After seven years of giving a voice to more than 450 protagonists and having amassed a community of over 1 million followers, BBVA has celebrated these milestones by taking a further step forward in its education project for a greener and more inclusive future. The Palacio de la Prensa in Madrid recently hosted its first face-to-face event (open to everyone and with free entry) under the ‘Aprendemos juntos 2030’ (Learning Together 2030) international tour. The event was inaugurated by BBVA’s Chair, Carlos Torres Vila, who, together with prominent figures such as psychiatrist Marian Rojas Estapé, professor and writer Victor Küppers, and writer Daniel Habif, kicked off a series of events that will be held in Barcelona, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Lima and Montevideo throughout 2025.
For the fifth year running, BBVA earned the best score in the banking category in Europe and finished joint third globally in the latest S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Rating agency S&P carries out this CSA to determine those companies that make its Dow Jones Sustainability Index.