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Banco C6: The Brazilian Digital Bank Making ESG Its Growth Engine

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Banco C6 Turning ESG Commitment into Competitive Strength

Brazil’s digital banking sector has become a fertile ground for financial trailblazers, each staking out a unique space in the ecosystem. Nubank has built its empire on credit accessibility, using its signature purple cards to pull millions into the formal financial system. Banco Inter, another formidable force, is leaning into secured lending, cross-selling/up-selling, and ecosystem monetization to carve its niche—something we recently explored in detail in our Banco Inter’s Strategy Playbook. 

Then there’s Banco C6, which is bringing something entirely different to the table. 

Despite being a relatively young bank, Banco C6 has scaled aggressively. Since launching in 2019, Banco C6 has amassed over 30 million customers, offering a full spectrum of banking, investment, and credit products. By August 2023, JPMorgan Chase increased its stake to 46% from an initial 40% in the digital bank, signalling confidence in C6’s trajectory. More notably, in November 2023, C6 turned profitable for the first time, an impressive feat in just four years​. (To see how C6 stacks up against Brazil’s other digital banks, check out our deep dive: How Digital Banks Are Taking on the Incumbents).

Yet, instead of competing purely on credit products or financial SuperApps, C6 has made Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) a core business strategy. Whether through environmental impact assessments for credit approvals, financial literacy programs for underserved communities, or even day-to-day banking interactions—every initiative ties back to long-term sustainability. In an era where values-driven banking resonates with an increasingly conscious customer base, C6 is positioning itself as a catalyst for meaningful change.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Banco C6 has embedded ESG into its DNA, creating a roadmap for what a values-driven bank can achieve. Let’s uncover how C6’s ESG initiatives not only strengthen its market position but also make it a bank that leads with purpose.

Banco C6’s ESG Strategy: Sustainability as a Business Lever

The digital bank is using sustainability as a business lever, embedding it deeply into its product strategy, operations, and governance model. The result? A well-structured framework where environmental responsibility, social equity, and governance transparency reinforce each other, strengthening both business performance and brand trust:

Infographic showcasing C6 Bank's ESG Impact, highlighting key metrics in environmental, social, and corporate governance initiatives.

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  • Environmental (E): C6’s environmental approach is built on two key pillars: reducing its direct carbon footprint and influencing consumer behaviour toward sustainability. Its biodegradable Acqua card, which decomposes in 6 months to 2 years, is part of a larger push to phase out plastic cards, already resulting in 2.7 million fewer plastic cards issued. Meanwhile, the Carbon Statement tool gives customers real-time tracking of their carbon footprint, encouraging eco-conscious financial decisions. C6 also integrates environmental risk assessments into credit and supplier selection, ensuring financing flows to low-emission businesses and green projects. As part of the Net Zero Ambition Movement, C6 has achieved an 80.8% reduction in emissions and launched cashback on carbon credits, allowing customers to directly contribute to climate-positive initiatives.
 
  • Social (S): Banco C6’s social strategy focuses on building equitable access, representation, and impact across its ecosystem. Its Rainbow Card initiative, allowing customers to use their preferred names, highlights its industry-first effort to make finance more accessible and respectful of identity. Meanwhile, 37% of its management roles are held by women, showing tangible progress in gender representation. On the ground, C6’s Financial Expedition Initiative takes banking access and literacy to underbanked regions like the Amazon, combining education with actionable solutions for communities traditionally excluded from formal finance. Through its app-integrated donation feature, C6 enables customers to contribute directly to social impact projects, seamlessly integrating social responsibility into daily banking.
 
  • Corporate Governance (G): For C6, governance is a core pillar of risk management and long-term trust. By aligning with Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and implementing AI-driven anti-corruption tools, the bank has established a robust compliance mechanism. Investor confidence in C6’s governance is evident in JPMorgan Chase increasing its stake from 40% to 46% in 2023. This growth is underpinned by C6’s transparent reporting, stakeholder engagement, and rigorous compliance training—with 99% of leadership and 98% of employees trained in anti-corruption, anti-money laundering (AML), and internal controls. Compliance isn’t just limited to internal governance—even supplier partnerships go through ESG screening, ensuring ethical sourcing and sustainability compliance across the value chain.

By embedding ESG directly into its products, lending criteria, and governance framework, C6 is setting a precedent for how digital banks can integrate purpose with profitability. More importantly, it signals a fundamental shift in fintech strategy—where responsible banking isn’t just a ‘tick box exercise’, but a driver of customer loyalty, investor confidence, and financial resilience.

If ESG is this deeply woven into C6’s business model, imagine what else it has got up its sleeve. From its monetization tactics to its customer acquisition plays, we’ve dissected its full strategy—so you don’t have to. Get the full playbook now!

Banco C6's Strategy Playbook 📔

Banco C6 has rapidly carved its place as one of Brazil’s formidable digital banks, leveraging its robust superapp framework to integrate banking, credit, insurance, and investment services under one roof. Anchored by its focus on secured lending, the bank has created a resilient, low-risk growth model. Beyond financial services, Banco C6’s ESG commitment shines through its ESG initiatives, cementing the bank’s role in sustainable and socially conscious banking.

Our Banco C6 Strategy Playbook unveils the strategic levers behind its growth—from credit portfolio structuring and risk management to revenue diversification and cost efficiency. Want to understand how Banco C6 is building a resilient, high-margin banking model? This report delivers the answers:
Report

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    Authors

    Head of Growth

    Kshitija is a senior branding associate at WhiteSight, crafting branding strategies and fintech content. When she's not conjuring up new ideas for the company, you can find her dabbling in new hobbies and documenting her experiences through writing and short films.

    Senior Research Associate

    Risav is a senior research associate at WhiteSight, where he spends his days navigating the complex fintech landscape and poring over market trends. When he's not decoding the world of fintech, you'll find this sports fanatic decoding the perfect curveball on the football field.

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