AfE 2024
Most banks focus their corporate responsibility agendas on environmental, social and governance metrics and the drive to net zero, as well as on diversity and inclusion in terms of their customers and their own workforces. Banco Santander, western Europe’s best bank for corporate responsibility, has for many years looked beyond these core aspects of responsibility and found other ways to contribute to society.
Santander Universities is its flagship community support programme with a longstanding commitment to higher education. Over the past 27 years it has invested €2.3 billion. In 2023, the Spanish bank invested over €105 million and assisted almost half a million people with scholarships, internships and grants through its 1,238 partner universities and academic institutions in 26 countries.
“Our commitment has remained stable over many years, but our approach has changed over time,” says Lara de Mesa, global head of responsible banking at Santander.