Unicaja has registered in the registry of carbon footprint, compensation and carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption projects of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) the carbon footprint of its activity for the years 2022 and 2023. The company has also developed a plan to decarbonize its own footprint with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 20% in the period 2024-2027, from the emissions baseline, and by 30% by 2030.
After registering the calculation of its carbon footprint, in scopes 1+2 and 3 (excluding investments), Unicaja has received the official 'CALCULO' seal from MITECO, which certifies this reduction commitment in accordance with the official criteria.
In this way, the bank will continue with the preparation of the inventory on an annual basis, submitting it to external verification to meet the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG protocol). Recently, Unicaja has obtained the verification of the corporate carbon footprint for the years 2022 and 2023 through the accredited entity DNV, which has certified the corporate calculation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the requirements established in the GHG protocol.
Emissions for 2023, under the established operational control approach limits, were 10.6 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, a reduction of more than 18% compared to 2022.
Scope 2 emissions (electricity consumption), which were the most representative in 2022, have been reduced to zero in 2023, due to the fact that all centers have electricity from renewable sources (GdO). On the other hand, the most representative part of the carbon footprint comes from Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions as a result of the bank’s activity), with 84% of Unicaja's total GHG emissions in 2023.
Commitment to sustainability
By registering in this carbon footprint registry, Unicaja is responding to its commitment to the Paris Agreement, the Global Compact Principles, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as other initiatives to which the entity has joined in line with its strategic positioning.
As a proof of the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in December 2019, the bank joined to the Collective Commitment for Climate Action, promoted by the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 25).
This commitment implied the publication, at the beginning of 2023, of the bank’s carbon footprint in all its scopes (1, 2 and 3), including the carbon footprint generated by the portfolios financed by the entity, as well as the decarbonization objectives of its portfolios aligned with the Paris Agreement.
Unicaja has a Sustainability Policy, revised in April 2024, which specifies its positioning from the perspective of strategy and general objectives, corporate and business management, and the design and marketing of financial products and services in accordance with environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria. One of the main issues to be addressed is precisely the reduction of the carbon footprint.
