BBVA delivers training in sustainability to more than 400 suppliers and SME clients across 13 countries
Once again, BBVA has been busy promoting sustainability training among 418 of its suppliers and SME customers across 13 countries in which it operates. A total of 552 people will soon be taking part in the UN Global Compact Sustainable Suppliers Training Programme, of whom 59% (326) are women.
The program, which is free of charge and runs for seven months, focuses on breaking down the barriers that SMEs commonly face in their sustainable transformation: a lack of knowledge, tools and other training resources.
The 552 professionals enrolled through BBVA belong to 418 companies from 13 countries, mostly suppliers of the bank though also SME clients who also happen to be suppliers of other companies. This year, BBVA is also asking these clients to undergo the training, as it believes they stand to benefit.
The program includes four training modules on sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. The training is offered online and free of charge through a dedicated platform available in Spanish, English and Portuguese, providing quick and easy access to courses, recorded sessions, guides and case studies. Thanks to this multilingual platform, international SME suppliers are now able to take part in the initiative.
The training sessions also include downloadable support material for SMEs (templates, guides, lists best practices, etc.). The aim is to deliver valuable training in sustainability along the supply chains of large Spanish companies who are partners of the initiative in Spain, to provide knowledge and resources, and to help SME suppliers comply with the national, European and international regulatory framework in the realm of sustainability.
The ‘Sustainable Suppliers’ training program is part of the UN Global Compact Spain, the broader UN Global Compact for the whole of Europe, ICEX and Fundación ICO. So far, upwards of 3,400 SMEs from 50 different countries have joined the program, as suppliers to 37 large Spanish companies that are partners of the UN Global Compact Spain. This number of registered SMEs marks a significant increase of 71% —more than 1,000 companies over the first edition— demonstrating the growing interest and commitment among SMEs around the world in embracing more sustainable business practices.
SMEs wishing to take part in the program must have between 10 and 250 employees, among other requirements.
With this external program, BBVA is looking to extend the sustainability training that it offers to its suppliers. This Group-wide training, which BBVA employees have been receiving since 2020, includes specific content on global challenges such as the fight against climate change and inequality, while also addressing the direct and indirect impacts stemming from the environmental risks to which BBVA and its businesses are exposed. Thanks to this program, the workforce has acquired a strategic vision of the relationship between sustainable development and the financial industry.