Environmental management

The promotion of energy efficiency is found in the fifth line of action in the Environmental Management Plan. In this regard, CaixaBank has promoted the implementation of various initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings, with the aim of contributing to the reduction of Scope 2 emissions in the Carbon Footprint, including the following:

• In recent years, several initiatives have been implemented by CaixaBank to reduce consumption in the branch network, based on the savings potential: replacement of fluorescent lights with LED lighting, replacement of HVAC equipment with more efficient units, motion sensors and light turn-off systems, single shut-off switches linked to time regulation, replacement of computer equipment, etc. Entre otras actuaciones, en 2025 se han sustituido los equipos de clima de 400 oficinas y se ha cambiado la iluminación en 175 oficinas, junto con otras iniciativas como el ajuste horario de los consumos o el cierre de plantas en algunos edificios corporativos en épocas de baja ocupación.
• The two Data Processing Centres (DPCs) have LEED certification, with the silver and gold category, respectively.
• CaixaBank's strategy regarding electricity consumption focuses on the use of renewable energy. For years, 100% of the electricity consumed has been from certified renewable sources. To achieve this, the strategy involves reaching electricity purchase agreements through two types of contractual instruments:
  • PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) with an associated annual purchase of 113.88 GWh/year, which represents 53.8% of the total electricity purchase
  • GdO (Guarantee of Origin Certificates) with an associated annual purchase of 211.74 GWh/year, which represents 100% of the total electricity purchase
• In 2025 twelve diesel tanks were removed from the branch network, replacing the existing HVAC equipment with heat pumps
• The main effort made in recent years to promote energy savings has been the Monitoring project. Thanks to the energy analytics platform, it is possible to group and analyse all the consumption data from branches and buildings, both the data obtained through the control and monitoring software and the data from the meter consumption records. The analysis of this data has been key to prioritising the necessary investments, as well as implementing best practices such as optimising lighting and air conditioning schedules, regulating set temperatures for climate control, optimising equipment operation, and more

These measures, together with the synergies derived from the integration of branches, have contributed to ensuring that in the 2025 financial year, CaixaBank Group’s energy consumption decreased by 4.2% compared with 2024, taking as a reference the normalized energy consumption, which accounts for outdoor temperature, and by 2.9% in terms of total consumption (-5.8% and -3.8% respectively if we look exclusively at CaixaBank, S.A.). 

The 2025-2027 Mobility Plan takes the baton from the previous Plan. This Plan includes both internal (corporate travel) and external (personal travel by employees, customers and suppliers) dimensions, incorporating a 360 degree vision on the inclusion of measures to curb the impact of travel needs. The Plan is structured in these 4 dimensions, on which different initiatives have been carried out.

Dimensions of the Sustainable Mobility Plan:

Implementation of internal carbon pricing associated with corporate travel:

In 2025, the CaixaBank Sustainability Committee approved the implementation of an internal carbon price linked to the management of emissions from corporate travel, with the aim of reducing upstream value chain emissions (category 3.6, which accounts for 4.1% of CaixaBank, S.A.'s Operational Footprint emissions). 

In this regard, a shadow price will be implemented in 2026 and a real rate is expected to be introduced in 2027. Initially, the price will be implemented for CaixaBank, S.A. (100% of corporate travel emissions, both from Central Services and the branch network) and the aim is to include other Group companies in the future. 

The most important challenges to be addressed in the coming years within this line will be the implementation of the internal carbon price for corporate travel and the implementation of the Sustainable Mobility to Work Plans in buildings with more than 200 employees, as required by the new Sustainable Mobility Law. 

By incorporating environmental criteria into the purchase of products and contracting of services, we extend our commitment to the suppliers and encourage them to adopt measures that minimise their activities' environmental impact.

Since 2024, we have further developed the Environmental Procurement Plan by defining new green procurement and contracting sheets and initiating the incorporation of compliance with these criteria into our supplier audits.

Introducing the new mandatory Carbon Footprint questionnaire for the most important suppliers will allow us with more data on the real impact of our procurement and contracting and will serve as a basis for setting targets to cut our indirect emissions.

The main aims of this line of action are to reduce both the consumption of materials and the generation of waste, as well as advocating for the reuse and recycling of materials.

CaixaBank considers good waste management to be essential, as well as the transition from linear consumption practices to circular consumption, with the aim of minimising its Scope 3 emissions. 

Waste management

The main activities carried out in relation to waste management are detailed below: 

• Selective waste collection allows us to recover and recycle waste. 
• At the corporate buildings, waste is recorded and managed by authorised waste management companies. These buildings' cafeterias are free of single-use plastic. 
• Throughout the branch network, municipal selective collection containers are used for non-hazardous waste (paper, plastic, organic and other waste), while hazardous waste is managed by authorised waste managers through our maintenance companies (light bulbs, refrigerant gases, electronic waste, toner, etc.). 
• CaixaBank launches regular awareness campaigns for staff to reduce waste generation. 
• Collection of obsolete cards in the branch network for subsequent recycling. 
• 100 % of the cards sold are made from recycled PVC and biodegradable material. 
• From the materials obtained from the recycling of obsolete cards, two pilot benches have been manufactured and distributed in one of our unique buildings, serving as a starting point to continue manufacturing new elements of urban furniture from this material in the future.
• CaixaBank has ReUtilízame, a programme that promotes the donation of surplus materials in good condition by companies to non-profit social organisations.

The waste data taken into consideration for the calculation of CaixaBank S.A.'s carbon footprint are shown in the table below. 

Several initiatives have been implemented at Group level which have led to a reduction in paper consumption in recent years:

• The digitalization project allows digital signatures for 100% of processes.
• ATMs allow envelope‑free deposits and offer the option to view information on screen instead of printing a receipt.
• Invoicing is carried out electronically.
• At CaixaBank S.A., paper consumption associated with sending customer communications has been reduced by 26% compared to 2024, thanks to the increase in online correspondence.
• Consumption of A4 paper in CaixaBank S.A. corporate buildings and branches has been reduced by 7.2% compared to 2024.
• Reduction and centralization of printers into multifunctional devices with user identification systems.
• Commitment to the preferential use of recycled paper, which at CaixaBank S.A. accounts for 96.8% of total consumption.
• Publications are produced using FSC and PEFC certified paper.

For the coming years, CaixaBank intends to continue gradually reducing paper consumption, for which it has defined the following objectives:

CaixaBank has a water consumption and shortage study that enables us to identify Autonomous Communities where the consumption of this natural resource has a more significant impact. As an integral part of our environmental strategy, we develop initiatives aimed at reducing our water consumption and we adopt good practices to optimise its use. These measures are implemented in corporate buildings and the entire branch network:

• The water we use comes from the supply network, and its use is mainly for sanitary purposes, which does not allow its reuse and, therefore, its relevance as an environmental vector is relative. However, measures to reduce water consumption have been implemented, e.g. traditional taps have been replaced by taps with interrupted flow and toilet cisterns have been replaced by others with smaller capacity and a double flush button
• In unique buildings, the best technologies have been introduced to optimise water consumption associated with the refrigeration processes: Data Processing Centres use free cooling technology, which uses no water, and in the Barcelona corporate centre, the evaporative cooling towers have been replaced with adiabatic towers, with much lower water consumption
• In 2025, 347,514 m³ of water were consumed, a 3% drop in consumption when compared to 2024, thereby meeting the 2% consumption reduction target set for buildings certified under the ISO 14001 standard.

WATER CONSUMPTION (m³)*