Laboral Kutxa: Values-based and strong economic performance can go hand in hand

In 2025, LABORAL Kutxa took a significant step forward in its commitment to values-based banking by undergoing, for the first time, the Scorecard assessment of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)—a comprehensive framework of indicators designed to evaluate the extent to which a banking model integrates the social, environmental, and governance principles that define the movement.

The results place LABORAL Kutxa at the average score of GABV member banks, confirming that its day-to-day operations are already aligned with the international standards that characterise institutions committed to generating positive social impact. At the same time, the assessment has made it possible to identify areas for improvement, thereby enabling continued progress along the path of further integrating these principles.

In parallel, 2025 was also an exceptional year from a strictly financial perspective. LABORAL Kutxa achieved a historic profit of more than €300 million, demonstrating that a people-centred cooperative model can be fully competitive. This once again shows that values are not a barrier to financial excellence, but rather an element that, when effectively integrated, strengthens robustness, trust, and long-term performance.

As a cooperative institution, profits are not allocated to maximising returns for external investors, but to generating shared value. Accordingly, 25% of the results are reinvested directly in community development, while the remaining 75% is allocated to reserves and social capital, strengthening the institution’s resilience to face future challenges. This approach enables LABORAL Kutxa to continue fulfilling its core purpose: building more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable communities.

LABORAL Kutxa’s track record confirms that values-based banking is not only viable, but profoundly necessary. Integrating principles of positive impact while simultaneously achieving strong economic results is not a contradiction; it is the foundation of a model that seeks to transform the financial system through practice, reinforcing year after year the well-being of individuals and the territories in which it operates.