BBVA Compass becomes first Rio Grande Valley company to take Lights Out RGV! pledge

MCALLEN, Texas, April 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass has officially become the first Rio Grande Valley company to take the Lights Out RGV! pledge, which will include a reduction in lighting in corporate and larger area offices.

The pledge is part of the Lights Out RGV! campaign designed to reduce light pollution that impedes annual bird migration in the Rio Grande Valley. BBVA Compass's pledge includes turning off unnecessary outdoor lighting between dawn and midnight, reducing interior lights with blinds or task lighting, and using only downward facing lights at night.

"Our brand promise is to create opportunities across our entire footprint," said BBVA Compass Texas Border and Gulf Coast CEO Jon Rebello. "Bird migration is not only a staple in our region's tourism sector, but it's also essential to the Rio Grande Valley's natural landscape. We pledge to do everything in our power to create the opportunity for our precious wildlife and ecosystem to thrive."

According to the Lights Out RGV! campaign, over 215 species of birds migrate through the Lower Rio Grande Valley each year. However, city light pollution disrupts migration, luring birds off their paths and into deadly collisions with windows and walls.

BBVA Compass's pledge is another in a long line of commitments to sustainability and climate stability. Last week, the bank's parent group in Spain announced it had secured €11.8 billion in sustainable financing in 2018, the first year of Pledge 2025, the bank's initiative to combat climate change.

In March, the bank's Global footprint came together to celebrate Earth Hour, an initiative promoted by the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Hundreds of BBVA buildings and offices across 10 different countries joined this initiative by turning off their lights at night.

To learn more about BBVA Compass, visit: www.bbvacompass.com

For more news visit: www.bbva.com and newsroom.bbvacompass.com

About BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States; and it is also the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's biggest bank for market capitalization. Its diversified business is focused on high-growth markets and it relies on technology as a key sustainable competitive advantage. Corporate responsibility is at the core of its business model. BBVA fosters financial education and inclusion, and supports scientific research and culture. It operates with the highest integrity, a long-term vision and applies the best practices. More information about BBVA Group can be found at bbva.com.

About BBVA Compass
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 644 branches, including 331 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 18 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 8th nationally in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2018. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found under the Investor Relations tab at bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter, visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com, or visit bbva.com.

SOURCE BBVA Compass

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