How to invest for a sustainable world?
Overview
At AXA IM, we believe in empowering our clients to invest in the transition to a more sustainable planet and society. We think asset managers can play a leading role in this transition by directing investment capital towards the businesses and projects creating solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, demographic shifts, and ensuring fair and safe societies.
How does responsible investing help build a more sustainable world?
In our view, investing in companies and projects that are leading the way to a more resilient and equitable economy is a means to not only accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world but also make better investment decisions in terms of potential financial returns over the long-term.
With increasing regulation and growing awareness from governments and consumers, if companies don’t adapt their business models to meet demand for more sustainable practices, they risk failing. While the companies who not only understand their impact but invest in progress and deliver solutions can be best positioned for future growth. Hence we believe in wielding our influence as a leading asset manager to incentivise companies to engage in more responsible actions and behaviours.
Responsible Investing (“RI”) is a broad term that refers to a wide range of approaches that helps us in being an active partner for clients in the transition to this more sustainable and prosperous global economy.
In practice, RI involves:
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) integration: Using ESG factors to enhance traditional financial analysis by identifying potential risks and opportunities.
- Exclusions: Rules that decide which areas a portfolio will not invest in, either for moral reasons or in an effort to avoid the highest potential ESG-related risks. For example, sectors like tobacco and controversial weapons.
- Impact investing: The focus on financing businesses and projects that are designed to have intentional, positive and measurable impacts on society. The objective is to balance financial returns and have a measurable impact on specific issues such as climate change.
- Sustainable investing: We define sustainable portfolios as those where sustainability criteria are central to the security selection and portfolio construction process. The objective is deliver financial performance while promoting sustainability.
How do we invest responsibly?
There are three common pillars to our RI approach incorporated across AXA IM Core fixed income, equity, and multi-asset portfolios.
- Framework for data and research: We integrate ESG in research and portfolio construction stages; seeking to generate robust quantitative data that can guide portfolio managers, while delivering qualitative research that digs into how ESG themes are affecting assets, sectors and regions.
- Exclusions: We apply both firm-wide minimum sectorial policies and AXA IM Standards which exclude non ESG-compliant exposures.
- Active ownership: We are proactive with our engagement and voting to identify potential ESG risks before they materialise.
Our offering
Since ESG is already embedded into our investment processes across our equity, fixed income and multi asset, as of March 2022, c.85% of our funds and strategies within AXA IM Core fall under Articles 8 and 9 of the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR),1 meaning they meet the most demanding and stringent of the EU regulatory disclosures for sustainable investment funds.
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ESG integration
Watch our video to find out more about how we integrate ESG at AXA IM.
ACT Range
Our ACT range is at the forefront of responsible investing at AXA IM Core and consists of strategies designed to help clients target specific sustainability goals around people and the planet, such as inequality and climate change.
Disclaimer
This promotional communication does not constitute on the part of AXA Investment Managers a solicitation or investment, legal or tax advice. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision.
Due to its simplification, this document is partial and opinions, estimates and forecasts herein are subjective and subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee forecasts made will come to pass. Data, figures, declarations, analysis, predictions and other information in this document is provided based on our state of knowledge at the time of creation of this document. Whilst every care is taken, no representation or warranty (including liability towards third parties), express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information contained herein. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the recipient. This material does not contain sufficient information to support an investment decision.
Risk Warning
The value of investments, and the income from them, can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount originally invested.