Banks in Mexico Advance Sustainable Finance Integration

The banking sector in Mexico is accelerating efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon, inclusive economy, said Mariuz Calvet, Head of Sustainability, Santander México, and President of the Sustainability Commission, Mexican Banking Association (ABM), during the 2025 Banking Convention.

Calvet emphasized the sector’s role in mobilizing capital toward sustainable activities and financial instruments that enable individuals, SMEs, and large corporations to adopt more environmentally and socially responsible business models. “The capital needs to move toward sustainable solutions,” Calvet said in an interview with El Economista. She added that banks should act as drivers of both economic growth and sustainable development.

While ABM has had sustainability committees for over a decade, it formally established a specialized commission in the past two years. This structure has helped to align member institutions around common sustainability goals, enabling more consistent progress across the sector.

According to Calvet, approximately 86% of banking assets in Mexico are now managed by institutions with dedicated sustainability teams that report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. This reflects the growing institutional capacity to incorporate sustainability considerations into core operations.

Calvet also noted that Mexican financial regulators are increasingly aligning with European regulatory trends, encouraging institutions to take more ambitious action on climate, inclusion, and diversity.

The shift is already reflected in the market. Sustainable banking products, such as green mortgages, loans for hybrid and electric vehicles, and credit lines for small businesses investing in solar panels or water treatment systems, have entered the financial offering.

Calvet said that customer engagement is critical to developing these solutions. She encouraged consumers, particularly younger ones, who tend to prioritize sustainability, to communicate their needs to banks. In turn, she said, banks have a responsibility to provide financial education and actively listen to users’ feedback. “There are more than 50 banks in the country. It is important that clients talk to their banks about the types of products they need,” she concluded.