This year marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, an international awareness day promoted by the UN, aimed at getting everyone involved in this goal. As usual, Banco Sabadell joins the celebration, guiding you on how you can participate with some measures you can implement, and sharing what our institution is doing to help achieve this.
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’s Commitment to Sustainability. Our branch network has specialists who can help you to reach that goal. If you’re interested, don’t hesitate:
- Ask your manager for information about our sustainable finance and mobility solutions.
- Educate yourself and be informed at our Business Hub, where we have regular online workshops that are free and open to everyone.
2) Invest responsibly and sustainably
- Ask us about sustainable funds and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) 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 without using paper.
What is Banco Sabadell doing?
We now describe the steps the Bank has taken to work towards this great goal.
1) We are working to become a more sustainable organisation:
- Since 2005, we have been committed to contracting electricity from renewable sources for all of our consumption.
- We have photovoltaic solar installations at our corporate headquarters
- We promote sustainable mobility with charging points in our logistics and business travel.
- We reduce material consumption (paper and plastic).
- We optimise waste management and the reuse of technological equipment.
- We have adopted an environmental management system that complies with the ISO 14001 global standard, under which six of our main offices have so far been certified.
- We monitor the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings of our suppliers to ensure that we only work with suppliers who are aligned with our goals.
- Since 2021, we have been promoting reforestation actions. By the end of 2022, we have reforested 20.6 hectares of forest lost to fires in Galicia.
- We have already reduced our total carbon footprint by 60% compared to 2019 in Spain and the United Kingdom.
- We are continuing to work towards the net zero carbon footprint of our clients
2) We are supporting clients in the transition towards decarbonisation
In client businesses:
- We are committed to mobilising €65 billion in sustainable finance in the 2021-2025 period.
- We have signed decarbonisation commitments, such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance.
- We lead corporate financing projects for new renewable energy plants.
- 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.
- We have signed collaboration agreements with partner from various sectors, enabling us to offer turnkey solutions for projects such as photovoltaic self-consumption or building rehabilitation, among others.
For private individuals and families:
- We provide solutions targeted at energy saving and renewable energy, as well as offering finance for the acquisition and refurbishment of homes such as the Sabadell Loan for Ecological Renovations, the Sustainable Loan for Home-owners’ Associations, the ECO Car Loan 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.
3) 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 issuance 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.
4) We are working so that together we can achieve a more sustainable, cohesive society
- We have launched initiatives such as the Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Marine Sustainability.
- Through Sabadell Insurance, with ‘Insurance with a cause’, linking each of the products to a specific cause, notably environmental conservation and habitat restoration.
Those are some of the lines of action that Banco Sabadell is committed to implementing to protect the environment.
For more information, keep up with our news on social media using the hashtag #SabadellCompromisoSostenible.