AXA IM launches the 'AXA IM Climate Transition Award' in collaboration with the AXA Research Fund

• The award will recognise transformative scientific research to power the climate transition and reach net zero.
• Candidates, advanced researchers between PhD + 8 years and PhD + 12 years, will have demonstrated novelty, innovation and impact in their research in the area of climate transition.
• The winner will be granted €100,000 in recognition for the game-changing impact of her/his research.
• Deadline for applications is 6 October 2021.

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM), in collaboration with the AXA Research Fund, has launched the ‘AXA IM Climate Transition Award’ in order to recognize the key role of research in the fight against global warming. This award comes as the latest report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change¹  (IPCC) gives a stark code-red warning to humanity and the impact it is making on the environment as well as the urgent need to tackle climate change.

As a global responsible investor, employer and business, and in line with AXA Group’s strong climate commitment, AXA IM is determined to tackle climate-related risks that threaten the future of our planet.

Institutional investors, asset managers and many other actors can be proponents of the climate transition, but without significant support from the science community, transitioning to a net zero world by 2050 is a critical challenge. Science is continuing to provide a number of pathways to climate transition and key areas are yet to be tackled.

For all those reasons and to accelerate the transition, AXA IM is launching the ‘AXA IM Climate Transition Award’ and is calling for self-nominations from researchers all around the world.

Areas recognized by this award will include:

Innovative solutions and approaches to mitigation²  to reach net-zero by 2050.

Nature-based solutions as a key component of our climate transition, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation³ . Effectiveness and co-existence with other proposed solutions.

Measurement and tracking as the crux of the climate change issue, both in terms of assessing our limits and the extent of success or failure in reducing CO2 levels and other pollutants. For example, carbon pricing or alternative approaches to financial and economic incentives to CO2 (and other warming gas) reductions and measurement methodologies for both GHG emissions reduction and CO2 removal.

Beyond CO2, the reduction of other shorter-lived climate forcers as a contribution to warming reduction.

The ‘AXA IM Climate Transition Award’ is aimed at supporting an advanced researcher between PhD + 8 years and PhD + 12 years maximum. Applications will be selected by a committee, composed of a recognised climate research scientist, an institutional investor and representatives from AXA Group, the AXA Research Fund and AXA IM.

Applications will have to be submitted by the 6 October 2021.

The winner will be granted €100,000 in recognition for the game-changing impact of his or her research. The Award will be dedicated to future research purposes.

The winner will be announced end of October 2021.

Marco Morelli, Executive Chairman at AXA IM, commented: “To become the world’s leading responsible investor and reach our objectives to become a Net Zero Asset Manager by 2050, we must lead the transition to a sustainable world both as a major global investor and as a business. We already took several actions to be truly sustainable, ranging from our product range to our active ownership and engagement initiatives to hold companies to account for climate risk. We also educate our global workforce to build their climate awareness and will be reducing our own carbon footprint by 25% by 2025.”

“But we believe in the power of collective action to overcome climate-related risks. By launching the AXA IM Climate Transition Award together with the AXA Research Fund, we are putting our purpose into action by recognising innovative research seeking to combat climate-related risks. We can and must take a lead role in what matters most to society. By supporting and funding scenarios to decarbonise, we seek to benefit the planet, people and communities.”

Marie Bogataj, Head of the AXA Research Fund and Group Foresight, said: "Research plays a decisive role in the fight against global warming and its impact on our society. By improving our understanding of the interrelations between human activity, climate and the environment, it helps inform decision-makers and the public to drive policy making and private action.”