54
3Q09
In the third quarter of 2009 BBVA launched its Global
Financial Education Plan (El dinero en nuestras vidas). The
new plan is part of the bank’s corporate responsibility strategy
and has a budget of €26m. It will run for three years (2009-
2011) in all countries where the Group is present and will have
specific programmes for each population group. In the first
year there will be 440,000 direct beneficiaries. This is one of
the biggest worldwide initiatives of its kind in the private
sector. BBVA is making an extensive commitment to financial
education and access to financial services. In Mexico and South
America the programme will target “banked” and “bankable”
people. In the United States it will address children and young
people. In Spain there will be a special programme on future
values (Plan Valores de futuro) for children in primary and
secondary schools. More than 1,600 schools and 200,000
pupils are expected to participate in the first phase.
Other relevant events connected to corporate responsibility
were:
Customer focus
In Colombia BBVA responded to women’s needs by launching
a credit card for female customers. The bank will donate 2%
of interest generated by the card to breast cancer prevention
programmes.
Responsible products and services
The International Federation of Pension Funds Administrators
has invited BBVA to join this organisation, which represents 21
countries that have private pension systems. In addition the bank
launched a new mortgage in Spain for young people (Hipoteca
Protegida BlueBBVA) with free unemployment insurance.
Responsible HR management
BBVA has started a campaign to prevent the spread of the
H1N1 Flue. The Group’s medical service has published a
series of recommendations and procedures to protect the
health and safety of its employees on the corporate intranet. In
addition BBVA Banco Francés (Argentina) has joined a pilot
programme to issue gender equality certificates with the aim
of encouraging this practice at other companies.
Environmental management and
climate change
BBVA signed the Copenhagen Communiqué together with more
than 500 important companies. The goal is to demonstrate the
readiness of international business leaders to tackle climate
change and the search for solutions within the framework of the
United Nations. Furthermore BBVA Bancomer has announced
plans for a new headquarters building, which will achieve
important savings in utilities and improve the quality of life of
its employees on the personal and professional levels.
Corporate responsibility
Commitment to society
EDUCATION. BBVA Bancomer (Mexico) will run personal
finance workshops at its branches, in lecture halls and via
cellphones.
SOCIAL ACTION PLAN FOR LATIN AMERICA. BBVA Banco
Francés’s integration scholarship programme in Argentina
invested 2 million pesos in 2008 and granted scholarships to
over 800 students. It recently awarded a further 73
scholarships to pupils at a school in Mendoza. So far this year
BBVA Colombia has donated 18,000 backpacks containing
educational material and 4,700 study grants. In the next
academic year the BBVA Bancomer Foundation will increase
the number of its scholarships to 15,000 (previously 10,600)
in 18 states and 143 municipalities of Mexico, covering 60%
of this country.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT. BBVA will provide the Spanish
Food Bank Federation with food products for distribution to
the poor.
PROMOTION OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY. BBVA
Bancomer has issued its second corporate responsibility report
and BBVA Banco Continental has published its fourth. Both
obtained the maximum classification of the Global Reporting
Initiative: A+.
THE BBVA FOUNDATION. The foundation is providing
€3.6m in finance for 18 scientific projects in the fifth round of
research grants in the area of ecology and conservation biology.
BBVA and the sustainability indices
BBVA has maintained its privileged position in the Dow Jones
Sustainability Indexes following an annual review. It is well
above the financial sector average in the three areas concerned
(financial, environmental and social). Its participation in such
indices in shown below:
Main sustainability indices in which
BBVA participates
(1)
DJSI World 0.81
DJSI STOXX 1.86
DJSI EURO STOXX 3.55
ASPI Eurozone Index 2.58
Ethibel Sustainability Index Excellence Europe 2.10
Ethibel Sustainability Index Excellence Global 1.30
FTSE KLD Global Sustainability Index 0.72
FTSE KLD Global Sustainability Index Ex-US 1.23
FTSE KLD Europe Sustainability Index 2.09
FTSE KLD Europe Asia Pacific Sustainability 1.41
(1) In May 2009 FTSE and KLD merged their sustainability indices.
BBVA’s participation (%)
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