Commitment to Sustainability
At Banco Sabadell we continue to move forward in our activity and organisation in order to support and accelerate the important economic and social transformations that contribute to sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Firm in this commitment, we have established our Commitment to Sustainability, a framework for action that ensures the integration into our strategy of a forward-looking vision in relation to environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, that aligns our business objectives with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and that establishes action levers to generate transformation and promotion activities. To do this, we have brought on board all of the Institution’s corporate bodies and we have established four strategic pillars, which we are already working on:
- Commitment to Sustainability 1630.0 KB
- Commitment to Sustainability. Summary 476.0 KB
- Framework. Commitment to Sustainability 68.0 KB
- Main ESG Objectives 61.0 KB
- Tracking 2025 Objectives 143.0 KB
- Decarbonisation targets 2223.0 KB
Our commitments and objectives
Progress as a Sustainable Institution
As an Institution, we are making progress with the new challenge of sustainability, integrating social, environmental and good governance aspects in our management. The Bank has designed its governance model and organisational structure along these lines.
We are fostering responsible policies and practices among employees to promote the preservation of the environment and the development of a fairer, more respectful society.
Commitments:
1. Be neutral in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as an Institution
2. Continue reducing our own consumption
3. Move forward with diversity in the Institution
4. Ensure the recruitment and development of talent, as a leading company with an employee value proposition
5. Align the governance framework to the new sustainability context
6. Maintain active communication with stakeholders
7. Continue to ensure responsible and transparent taxation
8. Have a supply chain with critical suppliers that have undertaken a formal commitment to sustainability
9. Participate in global initiatives and partnerships related to sustainability
Download the chapter to see the progress, objectives and actions of each commitment
Support customers in the transition to a sustainable economy
At Banco Sabadell we support customers in the transition towards a sustainable economy. We provide them with the information, advice, products and services that they need We help customers overcome their challenges, by understanding their situation and aligning it with the regulatory environment, whilst also identifying both the physical and transition risks and their opportunities for transformation.
We advise our customers on the transition, by creating solutions for all segments through products and services specially designed for energy efficiency, renewable energies and mobility.
Commitments:
1. Decarbonise the balance sheet by reducing the carbon footprint of the portfolio
2. Ascertain the sustainability performance level of our business customers
3. Mitigate the impact of climate-related factors on credit risk
4. Raise awareness about the importance of the ecological transition
5. Offer sustainable finance solutions
6. Offer sustainable mobility solutions
7. Promote the energy transition
8. Offer social financing solutions
Download the chapter to see the progress, objectives and actions of each commitment
Offer investment opportunities that contribute to sustainability
We make it easier for investors to contribute to society by promoting sustainable finances and making them an essential part of the strategy and customer service offering.
We expanded ESG investment solutions by issuing bonds linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and we facilitate the placement of sustainability bonds in capital markets.
We contribute to responsible investment by supporting renewable energies, promoting entrepreneurship and boosting the ethical funds and the sustainable investment assets of the leading asset manager in the sector.
Commitments:
1. Issue bonds linked to the Sustainable Development Goals
2. Contribute to the issuance of customers’ sustainability bonds
3. Drive capital investment in renewable energy projects
4. Promote entrepreneurship actions and strengthen participation in ESG impact funds
5. Boost the sustainability fund offer
6. Disclose and report on ESG matters to the market
Download the chapter to see the progress, objectives and actions of each commitment
Work together for a sustainable and cohesive society
At Banco Sabadell, we contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable and cohesive society through ethical and responsible management. We are also committed to data privacy and cybersecurity.
We promote volunteering, education and financial inclusion, as well as charitable activities. We place special focus on supporting customers in vulnerable situations with social housing management initiatives and employability programmes.
Through the Banco Sabadell Foundation, we promote outreach, training and research activities in the fields of education, sciences and culture, and we support young talent to achieve a more prosperous and promising future.
Commitments:
1. Promote education and financial inclusion
2. Support customers in vulnerable situations
3. Encourage corporate volunteering and charitable actions
4. Foster culture and talent by promoting education and research activities through the Banco Sabadell Foundation
5. Ensure the privacy and security of personal data and of transactions
Download the chapter to see the progress, objectives and actions of each commitment
Objectives 2025
Some examples of the progress made in our commitments include:
More information can be found in Commitment to Sustainability (with details of progress, actions and objectives).
Decarbonisation targets
In line with its ESG framework, Sabadell’s Commitment to Sustainability, the undertakings it has made as a signatory of the Collective Commitment to Climate Action (CCCA) and as a member of the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), Banco Sabadell has established targets and support measures to reduce its carbon footprint and, to that end, it has prioritised setting interim targets for the most carbon-intensive industries.
In December 2022, the Bank published its first decarbonisation targets for four emissions-intensive sectors (Power, Oil & Gas, Cement and Coal) and continues to build upon its strategy to fight climate change, setting new decarbonisation targets in December 2023 for a further three industries, namely Iron & Steel, Automotive and Aviation.
Lastly, in 2024, the Institution completed its decarbonisation strategy by setting decarbonisation targets for four new sectors: Residential real estate mortgages, Commercial real estate, Aluminium and Maritime transport (shipping sector).
The activities covered by the aforesaid targets centre on the stage of each sector’s production chain where transition is most likely to reduce the overall volume of greenhouse gas emissions.
To reinforce its commitment to the decarbonisation of the economy and to the targets of the Paris Agreement and the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), Banco Sabadell has a decarbonisation strategy that permeates all of its activities, through its strategic action framework, business development and risk management, utilising cross-cutting and sectoral levers to that end.
| Sector | Value chain | Emissions scope | Scenario | Metric | Base year | Base year metric | 2030 Target | % reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Electricity generation | 1 and 2 | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Physical intensity Kg CO2e/MWh | 2020 | 61 | 45-85 | - |
| Oil and gas | Upstream & Downstream (incl. refining) | 1, 2 and 3 | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Absolute emissions ktCO2e | 2020 | 6,300 | 4,851 | -23% vs 2020 |
| Cement | Manufacture | 1 and 2 | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Physical intensity Kg CO2e/tonne cement | 2020 | 660 | 510 | -23% vs 2020 |
| Coal | Mining activity | Not applicable | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Exposure Million euros | 2020 | 2.9 | ~0 | -100% vs 2020 |
| Iron & Steel | Production | 1 and 2 | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Physical intensity Kg CO2e/tonne steel | 2022 | 1,593 | 1,172 | -26% vs 2022 |
| Automotive | Manufacture / OEMs(1) | 3 | IEA Net Zero 2050 | Physical intensity gCO2e/vkm(2) | 2022 | 211 | 124 | -41% vs 2022 |
| Aviation | Airlines | 1 and 2 | IEA Net Zero 2050(3) | Physical intensity gCO2e/rpk(4) | 2022 | 94 | 65 | -31% vs 2022 |
| Residential real estate mortages | Owner | 1 and 2 | CRREM 1.5ºC (5) | Physical intensity KgCO2e/ m2 | 2023 | 20.9 | 16.8 | -20% vs 2023 |
| Commercial real estate | Owner | 1 and 2 | CRREM 1.5ºC (6) | Physical intensity KgCO2e/ m2 | 2023 | 25.7 | 12.6 | -51% vs 2023 |
| Aluminium | Production | 1 and 2 | IAI 1.5ºC (7) | Physical intensity KgCO2e/ tonne aluminium | 2023 | 645 | 549 | -15% vs 2023 |
| Maritime transport | Operator | 1 and 3 | IMO (8) | Alignment Delta (AD%)(9) Delta gCO2e/tnm (10) | 2023 | Delta + 25% | Delta 0% | - |
| Farming | Analysisi in progress: focus on customer engangement | |||||||
Notes about methodology applied:
Base year and 2030 targets data are based on the large corporations segment.
To determine sectors’ commitments based on the reduction of physical intensity, the average emissions intensity has been calculated based on emissions and output attributed according to the amount of financing granted. Commitments to reduce absolute emissions are measured in terms of the amount of finance used. Commitments to reduce exposure are measured in terms of the amount of finance granted.
The commitments have been determined based on the methodology of the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) o for all industries except power, residential real estate, and maritime transport ( Alignment Delta).
(1) OEM, Original Equipment Manufacturer. Scope 3 emissions are those linked to the use of sold vehicles (category 11 - Use of sold products).
(2) vkm: vehicle kilometre.
(3) A correction factor has been added to the scenario to remove the distortion caused by Covid-19 in the forecasts data for the 2019-2030 period, due to the lower aircraft occupancy rate during the pandemic.
(4) rpk: revenue passenger kilometre.
(5) CRREM: Carbon Real Risk Estate Monitor for Spain and Portugal, specific to the residential real estate sector for the EU.
(6) CRREM: Carbon Real Risk Estate Monitor for Spain and Portugal, adapted to proportions per type of asset in stock of non-residential properties.
(7) Decarbonisation pathway determined by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) for recycled aluminium.
(8) International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
(9) Annual Efficiency Ratio (AER), which measures the efficiency of a vessel’s carbon emissions associated with its transport work over a one-year period, representing the grams of CO2 emitted per tonne-nautical mile (gCO2/tnm) and per tonne of cargo transported (gCO2t).
Alignment Delta (AD%), a metric that measures the extent to which the carbon emissions intensity of a vessel or portfolio of vessels is aligned with the underlying decarbonisation trajectory for each type of asset that meets the target of the International Maritime Organisation.
(10) tnm: tonne-nautical mile.