Spanish bank BBVA announced a significant increase in its sustainable finance activity over the past year, with its sustainable business channeling €134 billion (USD$158 billion) in capital in 2025, growing by 44% over the prior year, and achieving a new record for the bank.
The results indicate a further acceleration in the latter half of the year, with sustainable finance activity increasing in the second half to €71 billion, up from €63 billion in H1.
BBVA’s strong sustainable finance results follows an announcement last year by the bank of a new goal to channel €700 billion in sustainable finance between 2025 – 2029, more than twice the bank’s previous goal of €300 billion from 2018 – 2025, and over a significantly shorter period, after beating the target at the end of 2024, a year ahead of schedule.
At the time, BBVA said that its sustainable finance initiatives will be focused primarily on climate change and natural capital, including water, agriculture and circular economy, as well as the promotion and financing of social initiatives, such as social, educational and health infrastructure, support for entrepreneurs and fledgling companies, and the financial inclusion of the most underprivileged segments of society.
In its report, BBVA said that 77% of sustainable finance volume was channeled to climate change and natural capital, with 23% to social initiatives.
By customer segment, retail banking was the fastest growing segment for BBVA’s sustainable financing activities, increasing by 93% in 2025 to reach €15 billion. Within retail banking, €9 billion was allocated to financing entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises, while more than €2 billion was channeled to financing for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles.
BBVA’s Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) accounted for over half of its sustainable business, increasing by 34% during the year to €68 billion, including €49 billion allocated to financing and transactional banking activities, primarily to sectors such as energy and mobility.
The bank’s Commercial banking segment reached €50 billion in sustainable finance activity, up 49% for the year, including €37 billion in financing for solutions related to climate change.
Javier Rodríguez Soler, Global Head of Sustainability and CIB at BBVA, said:
“This new record in 2025 consolidates sustainability as a real driver of growth at BBVA, as well as a strategic lever to open new markets and gain new clients. Through the design and offering of specialized products and services, we are generating a positive and tangible social impact, fulfilling our purpose of supporting people and societies in their drive to go further.”
