ESG News For MasterCard Inc.

Globally, advances in technology, data, and internet connectivity are rapidly reshaping the way we deliver financial services.

Europe’s economic future rests on its smallest players. More than 25 million micro and small businesses make up 99% of all EU enterprises and employ nearly half the population. Yet, a persistent gap is holding them back.

In today’s digitized world, data is everywhere – it provides insights into behavior and actions, informs decision-making, and drives innovation.

Small businesses need capital to launch and scale their ideas. And yet, it remains one of the biggest barriers to growth for small businesses globally.

2025 has reshaped the U.S. small business landscape in ways few expected. Shifts in economic policy, funding, and market dynamics have created new pressures — and opened new opportunities — for the entire ecosystem.

“By integrating our fintech and real-time adjudication with Giant Eagle’s checkout, we meet members at the moment of decision, making it straightforward to use their benefits for healthier, culturally familiar groceries without changing how they shop."

At Mastercard, our culture celebrates curiosity and empowers groundbreaking products and services, redefining the global connections and enhancing the way the world thrives.

As technology reshapes the global economy at breakneck speed, the question isn’t whether innovation will transform lives—it already is.

Mastercard is shining a spotlight on Indigenous small businesses as part of the Toronto Maple Leafs Indigenous Celebration Game.

Since the launch of the World Bank's Findex database in 2011, bank account ownership among adults has grown from 51% to 79%. But a new report by Consumers International suggests that this progress masks an underlying fragility

Cash, check or charge: There hasn’t been a shortage of choice at checkout for decades. But the convergence of several trends, from advances in artificial intelligence to the growth of cryptocurrencies, is expanding options even further — and much faster.

Closing out 2025 with an amazing recognition: Mastercard has been named a top 10 company on The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 list of the 250 Best-Managed Companies, earning standout recognition for innovation and social responsibility.

Women running small businesses are changing their approach to digital technology. Instead of expensive transformations, they’re choosing concrete step-by-step actions, supported by other women and well-chosen tools.

SLB:U sits at the intersection of helping rural women entrepreneurs find stable and diversified income sources while also addressing the significant opportunity for scalable last mile delivery. It strengthens last mile distribution while improving economic mobility for women

As the company’s chief sustainability officer and senior vice president, Jackowski has successfully helped the multinational card services corporation grow its net revenue while decreasing its environmental footprint—an achievement for which she was recognized as one of the most

Abdul Karim Bangura arrived in Athens from Sierra Leone 14 years ago, armed with just a few words of Greek and determined to build a new life for himself in the Mediterranean capital.

Join us for a dynamic, live conversation exploring how the circular economy is shifting towards mainstream.

As the world grows ever more connected, access to financial tools has expanded dramatically. Today, 79% of adults worldwide have a bank account, an increase from 51% in 2011. This is a remarkable gain.

Access to capital is critical. But without a digital identity or proven credit history, many MSMEs struggle to secure loans, with up to 60 per cent of those in South-east Asia reporting difficulty in obtaining financing.

“Bridges don’t hold unless they are supported.” This quote from Bob Dickerson, Executive Director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center, reflected many of the themes explored at the sixth Mastercard Strive USA Summit, convened in Alabama.

In the past, most conversations about the Asian economy have centered around the glittering excesses of the upper classes, or the grinding poverty in rural areas. But not much has been said about the growing middle class in the region’s mid-sized cities.

The Asia-Pacific region is undergoing the largest middle-class expansion in history. By 2035, it will be home to 3.2 billion of the world’s 5 billion middle-class consumers.

500 Global and The Earthshot Prize are partnering on an investment strategy to identify, support and scale climate solutions across Emerging Markets.Supporting three themes at the intersection of climate impact and commercial viability: AgTech, Clean Tech, and Nature Tech.The strategy was announced at The Earthshot Prize Summit in Rio De Janeiro ahead of the 2025 Earthshot Prize Awards Night, targeting to roll out H1 of 2026.

The inaugural CUNY Career Discovery Week aims to connect local college-level students with New York City’s top employers

Travellers in the Netherlands (visitors and local commuters alike) simply tap their payment cards, smartphones or wearables to ride any of the country’s trains, trams or buses — even rental bikes.

What happens to local businesses after a hurricane passes? A joint study by the Mastercard Economics Institute and The World Bank economist Leora Klapper found that merchants typically lose two days’ worth of sales they never recover.

Jamie Dimon Moves into Founding Chair and Member of Executive Committee

Mike Birbiglia, Alex Edelman, Jim Gaffigan, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Leslie Odom, Jr., Tom Papa, Jon Stewart and more take the Lincoln Center stage November 10 in honor of our nation’s veterans and service members

Cardano Summit 2025 in Berlin - First Speakers announced for November showcase. Tickets available.

When Elana Boyd Pea arrived in New York City for Mastercard’s exclusive watch party of CNBC’s Small Business Playbook last week, she wasn’t just there to network. She was there to champion a mission that’s been in her DNA since childhood.

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth announced a landmark collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Advisory Council to host the inaugural Mastercard ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit in Kuala Lumpur in late October.

Over the past several years, the circular economy — a system that repurposes rather than discards existing goods — has been gaining momentum, driven by a combination of powerful forces.

When the World Bank released the first Global Findex report in 2011, it revealed a stark reality: Only 51% of adults worldwide had access to formal financial services. Fast-forward to today and that number has surged to 79%.

Mentorship is more than advice — it’s about the relationships that shape us, the trust that builds over time, and the strengths we bring that can’t be taught.

The Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa welcomes the World Bank as third co-chair, alongside Mastercard and the African Development Bank Group.

When it comes to the environmental impact of carbon emissions from everyday consumer purchases, Mastercard is in a unique position to inform and enable people to make more conscious choices.

Through its Global Gateway initiative and expanding network of partnerships, Europe is making a strategic bet on inclusive, sustainable development worldwide.

Mastercard showcases how it is advancing against its mission to power economies and empower people, building a sustainable economy where everyone prospers, in its 2024 Impact Report.

Mastercard’s new campaign features “I Can’t Lose” video to rally, honor and inspire people to share how they #StandUpWithMastercard

When the pandemic upended cities and forced thousands of businesses to close in 2020, Daria and Oksana Kulachek bucked the trend. Armed with flaky pistachio croissants and creamy gateaux, they launched Defidu Bakery in downtown Prague.

The global middle class is growing — and the next billion consumers will shape the next decade of markets, movements, and innovation. This session dives into who they are, where they live, how old they are, and what they’re spending on.

Mastercard has been transforming transit in cities across the globe, making it easier for riders to get from A to B with just a simple tap.

A special announcement from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth signals the power of cross-border partnerships.

Secondhand, pre-loved, pre-owned, upcycled – no matter the stitch or state, the circular fashion market is gaining popularity, according to the Mastercard Economics Institute.

Loaded with microscopes, robots and VR headsets, Croatia’s “STEM on Wheels” mobile lab weaves its way from tiny mountain villages to Adriatic islands, giving kids the hands-on science skills they need to get ahead.

No one would ever mistake me for chill, but come vacation time, my anxiety ramps up, not down. Is three hours enough time to get to the airport three miles away? Did I pack my earbuds? Did I pack my back-up earbuds? My back-up back-up earbuds?

A staggering 36 million North American consumers — 12% of the population — are underbanked, navigating their financial lives with a bank account but without access to essential credit tools like credit cards.

These are truly dizzying times, but if there was a single takeaway from the Global Inclusive Growth Summit held last month in Washington, D.C., it was this: The world can’t afford to heed the standard advice for vertigo — sit down, lie still.

Whether they build policy or code, companies or communities, the 400 leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., this week for the 2025 Global Inclusive Growth Summit all shared a mission – to explore new ways to grow opportunities and build resilience for all.

Each year, we orchestrate the Global Inclusive Growth Summit to power conversations, propel progress and produce change. But as we prepare for Thursday’s summit in Washington, D.C., the challenges are more complicated and require more collaboration.