Socially Responsible Investment new
AXA Wealth Europe lists 60 external funds that have been labelled for their ethical approach.
The AXA Group's positioning
The AXA Group is committed to corporate responsibility, the driving force behind its strategy.
It is active in various fields such as the environment and climate change, the prevention of health risks, the responsible use of data and the integration of the ESG dimension (Environmental, Social and Governance criteria).
AXA is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which aim to integrate ESG issues into portfolio management activities. Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) covers investment practices that consist in integrating sustainable development criteria into the management of financial assets. These criteria are based on three pillars of extra-financial analysis: the environment, social issues and governance.
AXA Wealth Europe
For AXA Wealth Europe, this is first of all a matter of course, within the AXA Group, which is the 3rd most responsible company in the insurance sector in 2019 (source: Dow Jones Sustainability Indices) and also as a Luxembourg insurer whose policy is recognised for its flexibility of investment in unit-linked products.
Within the AXA Group, the management company AXA IM Select is responsible for overseeing the ESG integration of unit-linked activities in insurance policies, particularly in Europe. AXA IM Select has adopted an open architecture approach, with more than 50 management companies worldwide, and manages and advises on more than €10 billion in assets under management. It also offers structuring and management of collective or dedicated internal funds within AXA Wealth Europe's Lifinity Europe policy.
Focus on thematic investment:
Within the AXA Group, the world's 13th largest asset manager, AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has ramped up its research and management capabilities by integrating five themes considered to be the future of long-term investment in growth, driven by technological and demographic developments. The geographical approach and sector definition - once relevant for ranking companies and deciding asset allocations - have evolved to incorporate the reality of an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
The five themes are: increasing life expectancy, the digital economy via mainly online companies, the robotics market, clean technologies and the transformation of societies with the growth of the middle class worldwide.
Why choose socially responsible investment?
By investing in "Responsible" offers, clients choose to channel their savings towards companies that are working for sustainable development and that wish to take into account the impact of their investments on climate change or the preservation of biodiversity, for example.
AXA Wealth Europe lists 60 external funds that have been labelled for their ethical approach. In addition, it is entirely possible within the framework of the Dedicated Internal Funds (DIF) to define a personalised management profile with the financial manager chosen by the client, taking into account ESG criteria.
The SRI label
The SRI label is a tool for choosing responsible and sustainable investments. Created and supported by the Ministry of Finance, the label aims to make socially responsible investment (SRI) products more visible to savers in France and Europe.
SRI is an investment that aims to reconcile economic performance with social and environmental impact by financing companies that contribute to sustainable development in all sectors of activity. The SRI label, awarded after a strict labelling process conducted by independent bodies, is a unique benchmark for investors wishing to participate in a more sustainable economy.
The "Towards Sustainability" Label
The "Towards Sustainability" label is based on a quality standard defining all the criteria to be respected - Quality Standard for Sustainable and Socially Responsible Financial Products - by management companies. This standard is based on 5 key principles that aim to:
- Integrate sustainable development issues in the analysis and selection of investments
- Avoid the financing of controversial activities due to their negative impact on society or the environment
- Communicate the responsible investment approach of the management company in a transparent manner
- Inform the end investor by providing clear and understandable information
- Ensure the compliance of labelled products through a dedicated labelling agency and independent third party audits.
The LuxFLAG Label
LuxFLAG, the Luxembourg fund labelling agency, has awarded the ESG label to two CPR AM thematic equity funds: Food For Generations and Education.
Awarded by a group of independent experts, the label guarantees compliance with ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) integration rules in the funds' investment process.