Strengthening Financial Stability and Promoting Sustainable Development
We support our clients not just with financing but also by helping them boost their financial stability and make sustainable decisions. The products and services we provide reflect our commitment to promoting financial health and the long-term prosperity of our clients.
1. Financial Resilience and Digital Tools
We help individuals and families strengthen their financial health through modern digital solutions. For example, the FIT zone in our mobile app George, which is actively used by over a million clients, offers practical tips, recommendations, and solutions for savings planning, expense tracking, and ensuring financial stability. For children, we created the George for Kids app, which teaches them the basics of financial literacy. Our services make it easier for clients to manage their money daily and help them navigate their finances better.
1. Financial Resilience and Digital Tools
We help individuals and families strengthen their financial health through modern digital solutions. For example, the FIT zone in our mobile app George, which is actively used by over a million clients, offers practical tips, recommendations, and solutions for savings planning, expense tracking, and ensuring financial stability. For children, we created the George for Kids app, which teaches them the basics of financial literacy. Our services make it easier for clients to manage their money daily and help them navigate their finances better.
2. Sustainable Financing and Responsible Investments
We offer tailored solutions to our corporate clients that support the sustainable development of their businesses. We provide purpose-driven loans and bonds focused on decarbonization projects and environmental improvement. With every investment and loan, we focus on ecological and social criteria, helping our clients better adapt to changing conditions and create a positive impact on their surroundings.
2. Sustainable Financing and Responsible Investments
We offer tailored solutions to our corporate clients that support the sustainable development of their businesses. We provide purpose-driven loans and bonds focused on decarbonization projects and environmental improvement. With every investment and loan, we focus on ecological and social criteria, helping our clients better adapt to changing conditions and create a positive impact on their surroundings.
3. Supporting Energy-Efficient Renovations
More and more of our clients are interested in reducing their carbon footprint and operating costs of their homes. Therefore, we offer products that support energy-efficient renovations, such as insulation, window replacement, and solar panel installation. The goal of these services is to help clients invest in sustainable solutions that not only have a positive impact on the environment but also improve the technical condition of homes and the quality of living. These investments mean not only savings on energy bills but also increase the value of their properties, providing long-term financial benefits and a more sustainable future.
In 2024, we continued fulfilling our public commitment to provide Czech businesses with CZK 50 billion by 2025 to enhance their competitiveness and preserve jobs. Our focus lies on three key areas: innovation projects (the Trafo 2.0 program), preferential financing in collaboration with the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, and supporting the green transformation of companies. By the end of 2024, we had already exceeded our commitment, providing domestic companies with CZK 64.8 billion.
Our support includes projects aimed at decarbonizing energy, constructing photovoltaic power plants, and developing hybrid power complexes utilizing renewable energy sources. We are also involved in financing transport projects that contribute to emission reductions and support research and technology organizations focused on innovation. Additionally, we finance acquisitions of companies specializing in the circular economy, energy efficiency, and the development of eco-friendly technologies.
At Česká spořitelna, we have long supported the financial literacy and health of the population. In 2024, we introduced innovations that provide a comprehensive view of personal assets—from mortgage calculators to financial health assessments and energy savings tools. In the George mobile app, we launched new features like expense categories, making it easier to track and optimize finances. In the George mobile app, we have made new features available, such as expense categories that facilitate tracking and optimizing finances.
The popular FIT zone combines technology with education, offering real-life stories on managing key life situations—from housing to retirement. Over 1 million clients have already used it. A major 2024 innovation is the Smart Settings feature, which provides personalized tips to optimize banking products and services, helping clients save on fees and gain more benefits. Since June 2024, 25,000 clients have used this feature, with half of them implementing at least one recommendation. These tools are particularly beneficial for young people entering the financial world and for low-income clients, who find key support in features like Build a Reserve and Save as You Spend.
We also think of the youngest generation. George for Kids, our new online banking platform for children under 15, teaches financial literacy in an engaging way, encouraging independence while allowing full parental oversight. Kids can track transactions, make payments, set card limits, and learn about the history of money and banking technologies. George for Kids naturally builds financial habits and prepares young users for responsible money management.
We support business clients in strengthening their financial health as well. We provide both personal advisory services, including access to financial health reports, and digital solutions available in Business 24 and, now, in George Business. These tools help businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop them strategically. Over the past two years, we have conducted more than 80,000 financial health consultations.
In 2024, we focused on supporting project financing and the development of commercial real estate as key pillars of sustainable growth for our corporate clients. We provided financing for the construction and modernization of environmentally friendly buildings that meet strict standards for energy efficiency and sustainability. Through preferential financing and grant programs, we also assist clients in implementing projects that reduce energy consumption and emissions. We support sustainable transportation as well—during the first four months, we signed over 400 leasing contracts valued at 246 million crowns through the Electric Mobility Guarantee program from the National Development Bank. This resulted in the addition of more than 600 new electric vehicles and charging stations, significantly contributing to reducing the carbon footprint in the Czech Republic.
We are implementing significant projects both domestically and internationally. We financed the largest battery storage facility for the DECCI group, which is key to the decarbonization of the Czech energy sector and supported the construction of the largest photovoltaic power plant in the Czech Republic by Katemo. In Spain, we participated in the construction of a hybrid power plant complex for MTX Group, which combines solar and wind energy and ranks among the most significant renewable energy projects in the region. In the waste management sector, we supported Praktik company in strengthening its position as a leader in waste processing and environmentally responsible disposal. With new financing, the company can implement additional ESG projects and optimize its credit portfolio.
For companies seeking sustainable solutions, we offer innovative digital tools such as the Carbon Footprint Calculator, which allows businesses to easily quantify CO₂ emissions according to the GHG protocol, helping them identify areas for improvement along with suggestions for effectively reducing their carbon footprint. This tool is complemented by calculators for photovoltaics and electromobility, which facilitate decision-making regarding investments in renewable energy sources and sustainable transportation.
At Česká spořitelna, we assist social enterprises and non-profit organizations in their growth and development. In 2024, with the support of Česká spořitelna's Social Banking, we provided loans worth over 400 million CZK. This allowed our clients to benefit from a unique 80% loan guarantee through the European Investment Fund. We are the only bank in the Czech Republic offering such a solution. In addition to financing, we organized more than 25 workshops and webinars focused on fundraising, digital tools, and financial management, attended by over 334 participants. Practical support, including self-service payment terminals and online payment solutions, helped organizations increase their fundraising revenues. Our long-term collaboration, individual mentoring, and connections with partners create a solid foundation for the sustainability of these organizations and drive positive changes in the communities they serve.
In 2024, we significantly expanded our awareness-raising activities focused on cyber-attcks prevention, particularly through an innovative campaign with influencers. Twelve ambassadors reached a younger audience through 44 original posts on three social media platforms, which together garnered over 100,000 reactions, including personal stories and positive comments. The campaign achieved over 2.5 million views and contributed to increased awareness of the risks of cyber fraud. In addition to prevention, we emphasized immediate protection for clients against fraudsters, especially fake bankers. Česká spořitelna was the first bank on the market to introduce push notifications in the George app, reassuring clients that calls were genuinely from Česká spořitelna bankers. This step responded to the rising frequency of fake banker attacks, which accounted for a quarter of all cyber fraud in 2024, with total damages reaching nearly 58 million CZK. Cybersecurity is also crucial for our corporate clients, to whom we offer webinars with practical tips on protecting data and finances.
In addition to technological innovations, we organized over 200 financial health seminars at our branches, and our experts appeared in more than 150 media features. Statistics from the Czech Banking Association indicated that the number of cyberattacks increased by nearly a third year-on-year; however, the average loss per client decreased by almost 20%, dropping to 16,170 CZK. These figures confirm the effectiveness of our measures, which enable us not only to protect clients' finances but also to build trust in the security of digital financial services.