Financial institutions have a key role to play in achieving the objectives of the Paris Accords and the Sustainable Development Goals, which is why we implement our commitment directly, through initiatives that reduce the environmental impact of our own activity, and indirectly, through relationships with customers, investee companies, business partners and the entire value chain.
We are helping our customers - individuals and companies - transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy by financing sustainable products and goods that have a lower impact on the environment.
We promote the leasing and financing of less polluting vehicles, with a 0 or ECO environmental sticker, thus contributing to reducing the polluting emissions associated with mobility. We also provide loans for the purchase of bicycles, electric bicycles, electric scooters and other environmentally friendly personal mobility vehicles.
In 2022, we provided over 160 million euros in financing for less polluting vehicles. This figure only includes leases for vehicles with a 0 or ECO sticker, and financing through loans for customers of brands that only manufacture electric vehicles.
We are working to be able to trace the vehicles that customers buy with our loans so that we can keep track of those vehicles that have a 0 or ECO sticker.
At CaixaBank Payments & Consumer, we support the energy transition by financing self-supply photovoltaic panels for individuals through our partner stores and businesses.
In 2022, we financed the purchase of photovoltaic panels worth over 95 million euros. Our goal is to continue working to reach agreements with more companies and businesses in the photovoltaic sector, and to keep going on the path toward the energy transition.
We carry out our activity with environmental practices that are part of the Environmental Management Plan of the CaixaBank Group and in keeping with the operating principles in the area of sustainability.
We are reducing the direct impact of our activity with action plans involving aspects such as climate change, the circular economy, sustainable mobility, improved efficiency, and more. We are particularly focused 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 by calculating the carbon footprint of our operational activity and promoting initiatives to reduce and/or offset it.
MORE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
Our Experience Hub01 building in Barcelona boasts the prestigious LEED Gold certification, one of the most demanding sustainable construction standards in the world. This seal guarantees that the building is sustainable thanks to its design and construction process, and that it is a healthier and safer environment for the people who work in it.
We are also implementing a series of environmental quality requirements to make the CaixaBank Group's corporate centres more sustainable. With measures that increase energy and water efficiency, prevent waste, and more.
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. We are the first company in Spain's financial sector to issue cards made with 100% recycled plastic.
In 2022, all our newly manufactured cards were made from 100% recycled plastic. And more than 97% of the cards we issue come from sustainable materials (recycled or biodegradable plastic). The remaining 3% corresponds to the stock of cards from previous years, which is being depleted.
In 2022 in Spain, we issued more than 6 million cards made from 100% recycled plastic.
PIONEERS IN RECYCLING CARDS
In order to promote the circular economy, CaixaBank is also the first bank in Spain to manage the recycling of its cards. Since 2019, we have had a process for collecting all the cards for recycling. This process relies on our customers' collaboration, since they have to deliver their used cards to our branches. Thanks to them, we were able to recycle more than 2 million cards throughout Spain in 2022.
OTHER MEASURES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CARDS
We have extended the validity period for most of our cards from 5 to 7 years. This simple measure makes things more convenient for our users, who don't have to worry as much about when to renew their card, while it also reduces the consumption of materials and their environmental impact.
We are also encouraging young people to take out a 100% virtual card and forgo the traditional physical card. This measure is being phased in, always starting with the second card, since we believe that having a physical card is still necessary.
In 2022, 1.3% of all the CaixaBank cards issued were virtual, as were 19.3% of the prepaid cards.
PROCESS DIGITISATION
We guide companies in the digital transition of their sales, which in many cases allows them to minimise their environmental impact.
Moreover, in 2022, we continued to reduce the internal volume of postal deliveries through Direct Business by transferring offline channels to online channels. In addition, when we carry out postal campaigns, we use FSC and PEFC certified paper, which guarantees the sustainable management of the forests where the raw material is obtained.
We also reduced sales staff travel in 2022 by at least 5.3% thanks to the new InTouch manager. In fact, the number of trips avoided was much higher, since 5.3% correspond to transactions closed through the remote management service.
PAPER REDUCTION WITH NEW TICKETLESS POS TERMINALS
In late 2022, we started to implement new software in POS terminals that 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 (scan QR code, forward via WhatsApp or email, etc.).
With this new ticketless feature, we can help both customers and businesses to reduce paper use in those cases where it is not needed.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WITH LOWER EMISSIONS
We are shifting towards more sustainable mobility thanks to the gradual implementation of our vehicle renewal plan, with models with a 0 or ECO environmental sticker.
