CaixaBank has achieved the highest recognition by CDP as a leading company in driving sustainability, environmental management and combating climate change. The bank has once again been included in the 2022 edition of the CDP A List, having obtained its highest rating, which recognises CaixaBank as one of the leading companies in the management and measurement of climate and environmental impacts of its activity. The 2022 Climate Change A List is made up of 280 leading international companies across all sectors, out of more than 10,000 companies assessed by CDP.
This assessment recognises CaixaBank’s actions to cut emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop low-carbon economy, on the basis of data disclosed by the bank as part of CDP's 2022 climate change questionnaire.
CDP, an independent international non-profit organisation, is the leading global platform for gathering information and analysis on climate and environmental performance. It handles data from both private companies and public administrations in their endeavour to transition to a sustainable economy through the measurement and management of the climate impact of their actions and the reduction of their CO2 emissions. In addition to analysing companies by rating them from A (highest commitment and best performance) to D (lowest rating) on the basis of their climate change management, CDP provides access to this information to more than 680 investors, managing assets worth more than 130 trillion US dollars.
For the ninth consecutive year, CaixaBank remains in the CDP ranking under the Leadership category and is included in the A List for second consecutive year. The factors that contributed to CaixaBank's success include its governance and policies pertaining to fighting climate change, the integration of the analysis of the risks and opportunities arising from climate change and decarbonisation, energy management and the measures implemented to reduce its carbon footprint, as well as the targets set.
In this regard, CaixaBank recently presented its first climate report, which contains the bank's environmental strategy and sectoral decarbonisation goals of its credit portfolio. The bank, with a neutral operational carbon footprint since 2018, is working towards its credit portfolio becoming net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To achieve this, it has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions of its credit portfolio in the electricity sector by 30%, and in oil and gas by 23%, by 2030, becoming the bank with some of the lowest global figures in financed emissions in the sector, with 26.9 MTCO2e in oil and gas and 136 kgCO2e / MWh in electricity. These measures are expected to help it achieve its ultimate objective of decarbonising its entire portfolio by 2050 in line with the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), of which CaixaBank is a founding member.
European benchmark in sustainability
CaixaBank is a bank with strong historical links to the social impact of its activity, which is why it assumes the responsibility of driving a positive change in the economy aimed at the well-being of people. With this in mind, the bank has developed a new Sustainable Banking Plan for 2022-2024, integrated into the new CaixaBank Strategic Plan, which includes its proposal for solving challenges such as inequality, climate change and unemployment.
Sustainability is one of the pillars underpinning the Group's achievement of its results, and it sets out three ambitions: leading the positive social impact and encouraging financial inclusion; driving the sustainability transition of companies and society; and fostering a responsible culture by being a benchmark in governance. CaixaBank aims to offer €64 billion in sustainable financing between 2022 and 2024. In addition to providing capital to fund energy transition initiatives, the objectives of mobilising sustainable financing include social purposes, such as facilitating microloans to students, self-employed workers, microenterprises, families and new companies that generate employment. The bank has also committed to reaching 413,300 beneficiaries of MicroBank, which is the CaixaBank Group's social bank, and obtaining top ratings from the leading ESG analysts.
Since the publication of the financing framework linked to the Sustainable Development Goals in August 2019, CaixaBank has become one of the leading ESG-bond issuers in Europe, with 10 issuances: 6 green bonds and 4 social bonds for a total of €9.6 billion equivalent placed on the market.
