Financial institutions play a key role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreements and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Through financing, we can help individuals and businesses transition towards a cleaner, less polluting economy. This economy is ultimately less reliant on fossil fuels.
In addition, we have an internal responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of our own activity. We calculate our carbon footprint annually. This allows us to analyse it. We define and drive specific initiatives to reduce it.
We help our customers, both individuals and businesses, to make the transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy. We do this by financing sustainable goods and products that reduce environmental impact. We focus on sustainable mobility and energy-efficient homes.
We help reduce polluting emissions from transport. We promote leasing and financing for less polluting vehicles with 0 or ECO environmental labels. We also provide loans for the purchase of bicycles, electric bicycles, electric scooters, and other environmentally friendly personal mobility vehicles.
In 2024, we provided over 500 million euros in financing for less polluting vehicles. This figure includes the leasing of 0 or ECO label vehicles by our subsidiary CaixaBank Equipment Finance. It also includes financing for 0 and ECO label vehicles through point-of-sale loans (dealerships).
In total, this covered over 24,000 0 and ECO label cars.
In late 2024, our subsidiary Facilitea launched the Facilitea Coches platform. It has a highly competitive and extensive catalogue of 0 and ECO label vehicles. This will help us increase sales and finance sustainable vehicles under the 2025–2027 Sustainability Plan.
At CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, we support the energy transition. We finance self-supply photovoltaic panels for individuals through our partner stores and businesses.
In 2024, we financed the purchase of photovoltaic panels worth over €40 million.
We carry out our activity with environmental practices. These are framed within the CaixaBank Group Environmental Management Plan. They align with Sustainability principles.
We reduce the direct impact of our activity with action plans. These involve aspects such as climate change, the circular economy, sustainable mobility, improved efficiency, and more. We focus particularly on reducing our carbon footprint and adopting the principles of the circular economy.
We calculate and offset our carbon footprint
We promote the decarbonisation of our company. We calculate the carbon footprint of our operational activity. We promote initiatives to reduce and/or offset it.
In 2024, we offset 828 tonnes of CO2 from Scope 1 and 2. From Scope 3, we offset the share linked to corporate travel and card production. We did this through three reforestation projects defined at the CaixaBank Group level.
More sustainable buildings
Our Experience Hub01 building in Barcelona has achieved the prestigious LEED Gold certification. This is one of the world’s most demanding sustainable building standards. This seal guarantees that the building is sustainable thanks to its design and construction process. It provides a healthier and safer environment for the people who work in it.
We also implement a series of environmental quality requirements to make the CaixaBank Group’s corporate centres more sustainable. These measures include improvements in energy and water efficiency, as well as in waste prevention. At CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, we actively contribute to this commitment. In the HUB01 building, we close our floors at 7:30 p.m. (6:00 p.m. on Fridays). We have replaced plastic cups with reusable bottles. During holiday periods, we keep only one floor in operation. This allows us to significantly reduce energy consumption. Remote working serves as a key tool for efficiency.
Cards from 100% recycled plastic
Thanks to innovation in manufacturing and printing methods for our cards, we have reduced the environmental impact of payment methods.
In 2024, all our newly manufactured cards were made from 100% recycled plastic. More than 99% of the cards we issue now come from sustainable materials, either recycled plastic or biodegradable plastic. The remaining 1% corresponds to stock from previous years, which is being phased out.
Pioneers in recycling cards
Since 2019, we have had a programme to collect cards for recycling. In 2024, we upgraded it to improve traceability and provide our customers with transparent information about the final destination of their card.
The previous model allowed the plastic to be recycled, but it did not provide precise information on when it was reused or what product it was transformed into, which limited the information we could share with the customer.
A more traceable process
The new process incorporates two key improvements:
The new process was formalised on 18 November 2024 and, in just six weeks, by the end of 2024:
This process is made possible thanks to our customers, who hand in their old card at CaixaBank branches. Their gesture starts the recycling process and allows the material to be given a second life, taking a step together towards a more sustainable model.
Other measures to reduce the impact of cards
Our cards are valid for over five years. This is thanks to the extension implemented in 2023. This simple measure makes things more convenient for our users. They do not have to worry as much about when to renew their card. It also reduces the consumption of materials and their environmental impact.
We also encourage the adoption of fully virtual cards for younger or more digital-savvy customers. These customers prefer not to use a physical card. This measure is being phased in. We always start with the second card. We believe that having a physical card is still necessary.
In 2024, 2% of all CaixaBank cards were issued in virtual format. For prepaid cards, it was 39%.
Digitisation of paper receipts with ticketless POS terminals
In late 2022, we started to implement new software in POS terminals. It provides the option, both to the store and the customer, not to print the receipt if it is not necessary.
This new software makes available to both the merchant and the customer several options to receive and save the receipt in digital format. Options include scan QR code, forward via WhatsApp or email, etc.).
With this new ticketless feature, we can help both customers and businesses reduce paper use in those cases where it is not needed.
By the end of 2024, 50% of all our POS terminals had this functionality implemented. This totals over 350,000 devices.
Commercial vehicles with lower emissions
We shift towards more sustainable mobility. We do this thanks to the gradual implementation of our vehicle renewal plan. It uses models with a 0 or ECO environmental sticker.
Reducing the carbon footprint of corporate travel
We monitor the carbon footprint of corporate travel to identify opportunities for reduction.
To achieve this, we raise employee awareness by tracking indicators. These include the ratio of medium-distance journeys made by train versus plane. They also include the ratio of zero or ECO-emission taxis versus conventional taxis.
In addition, we encourage our employees to use the IMBRIC taxi service. It consists of vehicles with ECO and 0 environmental badges. Thanks to this initiative, we managed to get 80% of our staff to choose this option instead of conventional combustion taxis.
