CaixaBank is honoured by Euromoney as the Best Bank for CSR in Europe

The award endorses the bank's active CSR policies

• CaixaBank was found to excel in its CSR operations, thanks to policies aimed at driving the socio-economic development of individuals and communities within its footprint.
• The bank's corporate social responsibility strategy includes a firm commitment to driving financial inclusion, microlending and a Social Housing Programme.
• Via MicroBank, in 2015 CaixaBank provided 121,000 microloans worth 588 million euros, while in partnership with "la Caixa" Welfare Projects it offers more than 33,000 homes under a subsidised rental scheme.

CaixaBank, the leading bank in Spain by market share, has been honoured by the British magazine Euromoney as the Best Bank for CSR in Western Europe, based on its commitment to the socio-economic development of individuals and communities.

It is the first time that CaixaBank, presided over by Chairman Jordi Gual and CEO Gonzalo Gortázar, has secured this award, having previously won the Euromoney accolade for Best Bank in Spain in 2012, 2013 and 2015.

The award was presented yesterday at a ceremony in London, attended by banks from all over the world. Euromoney praised CaixaBank's efforts to drive the socio-economic development of individuals and communities, based on responsible and economically efficient action.

The bank's CEO, Gonzalo Gortázar, said the award also honours the bank's commitment to financial inclusion, adding that "CaixaBank, via its extensive branch network and technological capabilities, helps extend financial inclusion to the majority of the population, including individuals with physical or cognitive difficulties". CaixaBank operates in 93% of all Spanish municipalities with a population of over 5,000.

The Chairman of the "la Caixa" Banking Foundation, Isidro Fainé, welcomed the award, describing the "la Caixa" Group's firm social engagement as "a unique and inalienable hallmark of the bank, which others find very difficult to imitate". He pointed out that "la Caixa" Welfare Projects is allocated an annual budget of 500 million euros, while CaixaBank, in partnership with "la Caixa" Welfare Projects, provides more than 33,000 subsidised rental homes in Spain.

Another major aspect of this responsible approach to banking is represented by MicroBank, a wholly owned subsidiary of CaixaBank, which in 2015 granted 121,000 microloans worth 588 million euros. Since 2007 it has helped to generate more than 155,000 jobs, and is now at the forefront of the European microfinance field, providing support to a segment of the population that is usually not catered to by conventional banking services.

Corporate Social responsibility, a key aspect of the CaixaBank strategy

CaixaBank's corporate social responsibility is manifest in its efficient and sustainable management system, which guarantees solvency and prioritizes aspects such as protecting the environment and monitoring the social impact of its operations. CaixaBank provides quality services that are accessible to all. This approach has positioned the bank as market leader, while also ensuring that its social engagement remains at the heart of operations, with initiatives aimed at driving financial inclusion, encouraging saving and retirement planning, and implementing active policies to tackle social issues such as poor access to credit or homes.

CaixaBank takes an all-encompassing approach to financial inclusion, providing clients with access to products and services via every workable channel, as well as striving tirelessly to ensure that each channel is within the reach of as many people as possible.

International accolades for CaixaBank

In February Euromoney also selected CaixaBank as the best private bank in Spain in the Private Banking Survey 2016. This came after CaixaBank topped a series of surveys conducted around the world among high net worth managers and family offices, who named their favourite private banks in terms of service quality and business models.

CaixaBank was also named Best Bank in Spain 2016 for the second consecutive year by the US magazine Global Finance. The bank also attracted honours for its CSR policy at the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards, run by the British magazine of the same name, which selected CaixaBank as the Best CSR Bank in Spain 2016, while it also took the award for the Most Innovative Retail Bank in Spain 2016.

Likewise, CaixaBank was selected as the world's best mobile banking services provider by Forrester Research.

About Euromoney

The Euromoney Awards for Excellence are among the financial industry's most prestigious accolades. Euromoney magazine is a London-based financial publication and is highly influential in the capital markets. Founded in 1969, it is globally recognised as a publication specialising in news on international banking and finance.

It has a readership of over 145,000, including leading global figures in the worlds of finance, business and government.