BBVA Mobilizes €27 Billion for Sustainable Development in Emerging Markets at FFD4

BBVA Mobilizes €27 Billion for Sustainable Development in Emerging Markets at FFD4

(IN BRIEF) At FFD4 in Seville, BBVA announced it had allocated €27 billion in 2024 to sustainable infrastructure, climate action, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion in Mexico, South America, and Turkey—up 60 percent from 2023—while its Microfinance Foundation provided €1.5 billion in loans to vulnerable entrepreneurs. BBVA leaders advocated for scaling private capital in climate solutions, creating inclusive financial frameworks, and unlocking blended finance with streamlined guarantees. FMBBVA highlighted its impact—€18.8 billion lent to six million low-income Latin American entrepreneurs—and its digital tools for personalized inclusion, noting 63 percent of beneficiaries are women. FFD4 culminated in the Sevilla Commitment, a UN-backed plan to mobilize $4 trillion annually for sustainable development via investment mobilization, debt innovations, and financial architecture reform.

(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO, 4-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — In 2024, BBVA mobilized €27 billion to finance sustainable businesses and development projects across its emerging markets in Mexico, South America, and Turkey—an increase of 60 percent over 2023. Simultaneously, the BBVA Microfinance Foundation extended €1.5 billion in loans to vulnerable entrepreneurs during the same period.

BBVA presented these figures at the Fourth UN International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Seville, held from June 30 to July 3. The €27 billion encompasses funding for social, educational, and healthcare infrastructure; climate change initiatives; startup and SME support; and financial inclusion programs for underserved communities.

At an FFD4 session hosted by the World Economic Forum, Iván Poza, BBVA’s Head of Public Sector for Spain and Portugal, called for mechanisms to scale private investment in climate solutions within countries navigating energy transitions. He emphasized “the pivotal role banks have in channeling capital to adaptation and mitigation projects and the necessity of stable regulatory frameworks that blend public and private funding.”

Speaking to finance ministers from Colombia and Ecuador, leaders of the Development Bank of Latin America and the Inter-American Development Bank, and investment fund representatives, Poza cited examples of how sustainable finance can bolster climate resilience and social progress in Latin America.

Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Head of Sustainability Intelligence, urged for “a more inclusive financial architecture that addresses disparities between developed and developing nations.” He argued that embedding equity and social cohesion into financial products and strategies is critical, and highlighted BBVA’s efforts to establish internal social standards and personalized solutions. Ballabriga underscored that unlocking large-scale blended finance—where each dollar of multilateral investment attracts at least one dollar of private capital—requires streamlined first-loss guarantees and efficient processes.

Throughout FFD4, BBVA executives participated in technical dialogues with multilateral institutions, NGOs, and global leaders to co-design innovative instruments for sustainable development.

BBVA Microfinance Foundation Advances Inclusive Growth
“Empowering vulnerable entrepreneurs demands more than credit—it requires holistic solutions that enhance their businesses, homes, health, and education,” noted Stephanie García Van Gool, Director of Impact Measurement and Strategic Development at FMBBVA. In a UNEP FI–organized session, Gabriela Eguidazu, FMBBVA’s Director of Innovation and Inclusive Growth, showcased the foundation’s use of mobile banking, generative AI, and digital training to tailor financial inclusion to individual needs.

Since its launch in 2007, FMBBVA has disbursed over €18.8 billion in loans to six million low-income entrepreneurs across five Latin American countries, applying Oxford University’s multidimensional poverty methodology to develop products such as micro-health insurance and home‐improvement loans. At FFD4, the foundation also co-hosted the “Financing Development with a Feminist Approach” seminar, where Head of Sustainability, Equity and Inclusion Laura Fernández Lord highlighted that 63 percent of FMBBVA’s clients are women.

FFD4 convened more than 50 heads of state and government representatives, along with business and civil-society leaders, to endorse the Sevilla Commitment. This roadmap—ratified by 192 countries—outlines 130 concrete initiatives to mobilize $4 trillion annually for sustainable development through pillars focused on large-scale investment mobilization, debt management innovations, and financial architecture reform.

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SOURCE: BBVA