BBVA Ranks First Among European Banks in Sustainability and Third Worldwide

Spanish multinational financial services company ​BBVA announced on Saturday that it has ranked first among European banks in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the market's leading benchmark index, which measures the economic, environmental and social performance of the world’s largest companies by market cap. The BBVA Group also took third place in the world ranking. 

BBVA received the highest mark (100 points) in areas such as financial inclusion; environmental reporting; social reporting; corporate citizenship and philanthropy; occupational health and safety; tax strategy; and policy influence. The bank achieved a global mark of 87 points, five points higher that in 2019.

"At the beginning of 2020, BBVA included sustainability in its strategic priorities. To be ranked as Europe's first bank in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index shows our commitment to facing the social and environmental challenges ahead of us," said Ricardo Laiseca, Head of BBVA's Global Sustainability Office.

The DJSI Index is an international sustainability benchmark, which is elaborated by rating agency SAM, part of S&P Global. This year saw record numbers of participating companies, with an increase of 18.9 percent compared to 2019. Only 25 banks may enter the global ranking, out of 253 financial institutions analyzed in the banking sector.

The analyzed companies are required to submit a thorough questionnaire every year, consisting of some hundred questions that cover a wide range of issues, including climate change strategy, talent management and environmental reporting.