This year once again we’re celebrating World Environment Day, an international awareness-raising day fostered by the UN whose objective is for people to commit to the environment. This year’s slogan is “Our land, our future” and its focus is land restoration, desertification and resilience to drought.

As usual, Banco Sabadell is marking the Day, and letting you know how you can mark it too with some steps that you can take and we share what the Bank is doing to help to achieve the goal of the Day.

What can you do to help to save the environment?

1) Let us support you in the transition towards a sustainable economy

The transition towards a decarbonised economy is a central plank of our current strategic plan (you can read all about it at Sabadell Compromiso Sostenible). Our branch network has specialists who can help you to reach that goal. If you’re interested, don’t hesitate to:

2) Invest responsibly and sustainably

  • Ask for information about our sustainable funds and ESG investments.

3) If you are or are part of a business, make your business more sustainable

  • Identify how your business has a negative environmental impact in your immediate physical and social environment. Measure that impact and work to reduce or eliminate it.
  • Commit to reducing your carbon footprint and use of materials, and to managing your waste. 
  • Involve your team in your environmental transformation project.
  • Prioritise the selection of suppliers who meet ESG criteria.
  • Tell your customers about the steps you’re taking and are going to take in relation to the environment. 
  • Download the Banco Sabadell app and manage your accounts paperlessly. 

What is Banco Sabadell doing?

For Banco Sabadell, the fight against climate change and the building of a sustainable future are fundamental principles that guide our business. We appreciate the urgent need for action and the duty we have as a financial institution to contribute to saving the planet. That is why we have an ambitious environmental action plan that has several strategic lines of action. We now describe the steps the Bank has taken to work towards this great goal.

1) We are supporting clients in the transition towards decarbonisation

In client businesses:

  • We have committed to mobilising €65 billion in sustainable finance in the period 2021-2025. The principal solutions include: renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable construction, mobility and transport, the circular economy, pollution prevention, water discharge and wastewater, agricultural industry, digital competition, knowledge sharing, research and development. We have made available a cumulative total of €43.7 billion, reaching 67% of our 2025 target.
  • We have entered into decarbonisation commitments (such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance) and set 2030 targets for seven industries that are heavy emitters of CO2 (Electricity, Oil and Gas, Cement, Coal, Iron and Steel, Automotive and Aviation), and focused on transforming the large companies in the chain of production in each industry, whose transformation can have the greatest impact on reducing global emissions.
  • We give industry-specific advice for decarbonisation projects.
  • We advise on applying for public grants, and lend against, supplement and finance such grants if required. Further information here.

For private individuals and families:

  • We provided solutions targeted at energy saving and renewable energy, as well as offering finance for the acquisition and refurbishment of homes such as Préstamo Sabadell para Reformas Ecológicas, Préstamo Sostenible Comunidad de Propietarios, Préstamo ECO Coche and green mortgages, among others.

We take actions to disseminate knowledge and raise awareness:

  • We participate in forums and go to great lengths to raise awareness and engage with our clients and everyone who is interested about the importance of decarbonisation, with initiatives such as our education days, open to everyone at #SabadellHubEmpresa.

2) We invest and provide socially responsible investment opportunities that do their bit for sustainability

  • We invest in technology that helps decarbonisation while fostering capital investment in sustainable and renewable energy projects through our specialist subsidiary (Sinia Renovables).
  • We contribute to the issue of sustainable bonds by the Bank and by clients.
  • We are boosting our involvement in ESG funds.
  • We have programmes to foster ‘environmental entrepreneurship’ such as #BStartupGreen.

3) We are working to become a more sustainable organisation:

  • Since 2005, we have been committed to buying 100% of the electricity that we use from renewable sources.
  • We have photovoltaic solar installations at our corporate headquarters.
  • We promote sustainable mobility with charging points, in our logistics and business travel.
  • We are reducing our consumption of materials (paper and plastic).
  • We manage our waste and the reuse of tech.
  • We have adopted an environmental management system (EMS) that complies with ISO 14001, under which five of our main offices have so far been certified.
  • We monitor the ESG ratings of our suppliers to ensure that we only work with suppliers who are aligned with our goals.
  • Since 2021 we have been fostering reforestation actions. One of our offsetting targets in 2023 was the recovery of degraded soils and the creation of biodiverse forests. Further information here.
  • We have reduced our total carbon footprint in Spain by 45.6% relative to 2019, exceeding our original target of 36.1% by 2025.
  • We are continuing to work towards the net zero carbon footprint of our clients.

4) We are working so that together we can achieve a more sustainable, cohesive society

The fight against climate change and the building of a sustainable future are a global challenge that calls for the involvement of everybody. It is of utmost importance that governments, businesses, individuals and society as a whole work together to achieve positive change. Each small action counts, and together we can build a greener and more sustainable future for the generations as yet unborn.

Those are some of the lines of action that Banco Sabadell is committed to implementing to protect the environment.

For further information, please keep up with our news on social media using the hashtag #SabadellCompromisoSostenible.