In 2025, Banco Santander has consolidated its position as a global leader in renewable energy financing, a place it has held steadily for a decade. The entity thus reinforces a trajectory that began more than twenty years ago, when it decided to participate in the development of an emerging industry in Spain and assume the risks associated with the first projects.
During the last year, the greenfield renewable energy projects in which he participated as a financier or advisor reached a size capable of supplying electricity to 15.5 million homes annually. This figure reflects an activity that goes beyond the provision of capital and includes advice on different phases of development and structuring.
The commitment to renewables dates back to the beginnings of the sector in Spain, when there were still significant regulatory, technological and financial uncertainties. The bank decided to accompany this growth with the objective of making it profitable and sustainable. Two decades later, it maintains this strategic line in a context in which the energy transition has acquired global scope.
Since 2019, Santander has mobilized 174 billion euros in green financing and maintains its ambition to reach 220 billion euros by 2030. These resources are allocated not only to new renewable generation capacity, but also to infrastructure, energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions in various sectors. Green financing has thus become a central lever of its activity.
Present in ten main markets on both sides of the Atlantic, the entity conceives the energy transition as a process that must adapt to the different economic and social realities. Within this framework, its role is to support clients and economies according to their specific needs. The bank defends a fair and inclusive transition, attentive to regional and sectoral particularities, to avoid the isolation of communities or the abandonment of assets.
In 2025, Santander has supported the development and expansion of renewable and low-carbon generation capacity in various technologies. Its advisory and financing activity covers solar projects, offshore and onshore wind, hydroelectric and also nuclear assets, in line with its global presence. This diversity responds to the strategy of supporting different energy models according to the characteristics of each market.
The bank’s environmental strategy is not limited to financing. It also includes reducing the footprint derived from its own operations. The plan contemplates the reduction of CO2e emissions and the compensation of those that cannot be reduced through external credits, together with responsible management of supplies and waste and the promotion of environmental awareness among employees and other interest groups.
Santander has been measuring its environmental footprint since 2001 and, since 2011, energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives have allowed it to reduce its total Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 88%. This progress responds to energy saving measures, consumption optimization and progressive incorporation of renewable energies in its electricity supply.
The entity maintains the objective of reducing emissions from its own operations by 67% in 2030 compared to 2020. To achieve this, it plans to reinforce the use of renewable energy and self-generation systems, apply new efficiency measures and reduce direct emissions, with quantified goals and defined calendars.
In 2025, the Group has for the first time reached 100% electricity from renewable sources in its ten main geographies, meeting the objective set in 2020. Of this total, 2.2% comes from self-production in its buildings, equivalent to 16 GWh, combining supply contracts and own generation.
Among the most notable projects is the installation of more than 9 MW of photovoltaic solar power in Grupo Santander City, in Spain. This capacity makes it possible to cover 100% of the electrical consumption of its nine administrative buildings, where around 8,000 people work, turning the complex into an example of internal application of the energy strategy that the bank promotes in its financial activity.
With 174 billion euros mobilized since 2019 and a goal of 220 billion in 2030, Santander articulates its leadership around figures that reflect scale and continuity, integrating business and environmental performance in the same framework of action.