KBC Group’s Sustainability Report 2025 is the bank-insurance group’s voluntary sustainability publication, complementing the mandatory Sustainability Statement included in its Annual Report under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The report explains KBC’s sustainability strategy, governance, targets and performance across its core markets: Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. It confirms that, following a double materiality assessment in 2024 and its update in 2025, six themes remain material: own workforce, consumers and end-users, business conduct, climate change, water and marine resources, and biodiversity and ecosystems.

The document presents sustainability as a core pillar of KBC’s corporate strategy rather than a stand-alone activity. It is structured around three main objectives: increasing positive societal impact, limiting adverse impact, and encouraging responsible behaviour among employees. KBC links this approach to selected UN Sustainable Development Goals and translates it into four operational focus areas: environmental responsibility, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and longevity and health. The report also details a layered governance model involving the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Internal Sustainability Board and local country teams.

Among the main 2025 highlights, KBC says it exceeded several interim targets. The carbon intensity of KBC Insurance’s equity and corporate bond portfolio was 76% below 2019 levels, well ahead of target, while 51% of direct client money managed by KBC Asset Management was invested in Responsible Investing funds. The group reports 34 billion euros in loans with environmental objectives, including renewable energy, energy-efficient housing and low-carbon vehicles, and says it is on track for 9 of 12 climate lending targets. It also issued a 500-million-euro Green Bond and introduced new water-related White Papers.

On the social side, KBC highlights new gender-balance ambitions in recruitment and promotions, broad employee participation in the Team Blue Challenge, volunteer work in around 1,000 non-profit organisations, and financing for healthcare, senior living and education amounting to 8.25 billion euros. The report also points to external recognition, including continued high ESG ratings from CDP, S&P Global and Sustainalytics, as well as awards in several core countries.

Overall, the report positions KBC as a financial institution seeking to combine profitability with environmental and social transition. It stresses transparency, stakeholder dialogue, responsible finance and long-term value creation, while acknowledging that sustainability remains an ongoing process of adaptation rather than a finished endpoint.