xThe European Investment Bank (EIB) and BBVA have signed two strategic agreements aimed at boosting green finance in Spain and strengthening technical capacity in climate action across the financial sector. The first agreement establishes an EIB guarantee facility of up to €380 million to support sustainable projects. Under this arrangement, the EIB will guarantee roughly 50% of a portfolio of up to €760 million, while BBVA commits to generating a new portfolio of eligible green projects equal to the maximum guaranteed amount. The facility is designed to benefit individuals, homeowner associations, SMEs, and real estate developers, allowing BBVA to optimise regulatory capital use while expanding sustainable lending.
Jean‑Christophe Laloux, EIB Director General and Head of Lending and Advisory within the EU, highlighted that the agreements mark a significant milestone in EU climate financing and support more sustainable housing solutions with both environmental and social impact. Iván Poza of BBVA emphasized that the guarantee facility aligns with the bank’s strategic priorities of driving sustainability, expanding business segments, and optimising capital, while enabling SMEs to adapt to climate change.
The second agreement involves advisory support from the EIB under the InvestEU Advisory Hub to enhance BBVA’s climate-action and environmental-sustainability capabilities. This includes assistance in project origination, eligibility analysis, product development, and impact reporting, with a focus on the real estate and infrastructure sectors. The EIB will also guide BBVA on financing and grant schemes, including how public support, EIB instruments, and other risk-mitigation tools can be combined. Antoni Ballabriga, BBVA’s Global Director of Sustainability Intelligence, stated that the advisory services will help the bank advance its climate strategy and accelerate sustainability as a growth engine while fostering new business opportunities.
The agreements were announced during the Green Gateway event in Luxembourg, organized by the EIB Group with support from the European Commission’s InvestEU Advisory Hub. The event showcased the EIB Group’s Green Gateway advisory platform, a one-stop hub for identifying, assessing, and reporting green investments. In 2025, Green Gateway advisory services helped increase green intermediated finance and guarantee operations with partner banks from €2.6 billion to €4.7 billion. Key tools include the EIB Group Green Checker for compliance assessment, an eligibility helpdesk, an expanded e-learning program, and a dedicated webinar series for financial intermediaries and SMEs.
The EIB Group, owned by the EU Member States, is the EU’s long-term financing institution and in 2025 signed €100 billion in new financing for over 870 high-impact projects across core EU policy areas, including climate action and the environment. In Spain, the EIB carried out financing and investment operations totalling around €11 billion in 2025, with an additional €2.9 billion provided under the Regional Resilience Fund. Through EIB Advisory, the group also supports public and private clients with market development, capacity building, and high-impact project delivery, having facilitated 179 operations inside and outside the EU in 2025.
