site.btaBulgarian-American Credit Bank Presents Sustainability Report, Commits to Work for Green, Sustainable Future

Bulgarian-American Credit Bank (BACB) on Tuesday presented its first sustainability report (Environmental, social, and governance, or ESG) to journalists, announcing its commitment to a green and sustainable future.

The report covers the financial years 2021 and 2022 and aims to inform BACB's customers and partners on how the bank is managing sustainability issues and what commitments it has made. The sustainability strategy adopted by BACB contributes to the optimal management of economic, social, governance and environmental impacts, the financial institution said.

BACB's commitment to environmental protection, climate change mitigation, social and corporate responsibility play a decisive role in its decision-making, said BACB Supervisory Board Chair Tsvetelina Borislavova. "Our goals are related to maintaining high standards for clients, offering timely and appropriate solutions for businesses and consumers, while providing benefits and added value for them," Borislavova said. In recent years, BACB has been awarded Bulgaria's greenest bank five times for its green projects, products and overall strategy, the report said.

BACB CEO Ilian Georgiev noted that back in 2011 when Borislavova acquired the majority stake in the bank, she set a goal to become the "green bank" of Bulgaria by focusing on supporting environmentally friendly businesses. The bank's mission is to support the development of a low-carbon and sustainable economy by providing banking products and services for business ventures related to energy efficiency, environmental protection, alternative agriculture, renewable energy and sustainable urban environments, Georgiev said.

Over the past two years, the bank has implemented projects in the field of sustainable development, including a Sofia Municipality project to improve travel conditions in public transport. 60 low-emission buses have been purchased, representing 10% of Sofia Municipality's bus fleet. BACB also supported the development of a modern electronic ticketing and passenger charging system. BACB has financed "green" taxis in Plovdiv, electric cars for ride-sharing, the construction of many photovoltaic power plants wastewater treatment plants, waste treatment facilities, companies in the field of recycling and the production of organic products, Georgiev said.