Our Sustainability policies, methodologies & reports

Overview

Our investment philosophy is based on the conviction that sustainable development issues are a major concern for the coming years and need to be considered to build stable and profitable/ prosperous portfolios.

Read our RI Policy (July 2024)

Our top-level policies

Our top-level screening policies – covering Controversial Weapons, Soft Commodities, Climate Risks, Tobacco and Ecosystem Protection & Deforestation - apply to the vast majority of assets.

We were among the first asset managers to put in place a blanket exclusion for companies which derive revenues from coal, now excluding companies generating more than 15% of revenues from coal. We also exclude assets linked to food commodities, deforestation and other unsustainable practices causing natural ecosystem conversion. as well as tobacco producers and follow exclusion rules on controversial weapons such as Anti-Personnel Landmines.

Read our top-level policies

Exclusion Policies

Climate risk policy

To support Paris Agreement goals and the transition to a low-carbon economy, we aim to progressively reduce our exposure to carbon intensive sectors by excluding companies most exposed to coal and unconventional oil & gas oil sand activities and by engaging with a selection of companies not excluded by our criteria.

Download Policy (January 2025)

Exclusion Policies

Controversial weapons policy

We consider that investment in companies involved in Controversial Weapons activities or provisions to such companies should be avoided.

Download Policy (January 2025)

Exclusion Policies

Ecosystem protection & deforestation policy

Deforestation and natural ecosystems conversion have devastating consequences, both for the environment and society, and has pushed many species to the brink of extinction. We aim to avoid investment in companies involved in deforestation and natural ecosystem conversion when negative business practices are clearly identified.

Download Policy (Jan 2025)

Exclusion Policies

Soft commodities policy

We strive not to participate in short-term instruments commodities or enter into speculative transactions that may contribute to price inflation in basic agricultural or marine commodities.

Download Policy (January 2025)

EXCLUSION POLICIES

Tobacco Policy

As a responsible investor, at AXA IM we avoid investing in companies involved in the production of tobacco. The negative impact of tobacco is well documented and as a result many investors are divesting from the sector.

Download Policy (Feb 2025)

Policies

Our ESG integrated and ACT strategies apply our ESG standards policy, with additional exclusions on tobacco producers, white phosphorus weapons producers, companies in violation of International Norms and Standards and exposed to severe controversies as well as those with poor ESG quality. We also avoid investing in debt instruments issued by countries where the worst forms of human right violations are observed.

Download Policy (January 2024)

Stewardship

We want businesses to be more responsible because we believe this will deliver value for clients – in the form of risk-adjusted returns in the medium-term, and by building a sustainable and prosperous economy over the longer term.

We are not a passive partner for clients – we are an active owner of assets on their behalf. AXA IM’s stewardship strategy seeks to protect client investments by raising issues of concern that may have a material impact on company performance and investor value over the longer term. We strive to reduce investment risk, enhance returns and drive positive impacts for society and the environment.

Read our stewardship policies

Through our stewardship activities, we seek to use our influence as investors to encourage companies to mitigate environmental and social risks relevant to their sectors.

Stewardship

Corporate governance & voting policy

We regularly update the standards by which we conduct our interactions with corporate management. Download our Voting Policy to find out more.

Download Policy (2025)

Stewardship

Conflict of interests policy

This document aims at explaining AXA IM’s approach to conflicts of interests arising from its stewardship activities and is complementary to AXA IM’s general conflict of interests policy.

Download Policy (Feb 2025)

Stewardship

Engagement policy

We take an active engagement approach, emphasising direct dialogue with companies on sustainability and governance issues that have a material impact on long-term financial performance.

Download Policy (2025)

Stewardship

Board ESG oversight

Integrating ESG issues into a company’s corporate strategy can help it identify growth opportunities and strengthen its risk management processes – and in doing that, we believe the potential exists to positively impact financial performance.

Stewardship

Public Affairs Charter

The role of AXA IM's Global Regulatory Developments and Public Affairs function is to identify and assess major asset management trends, as well as related wider emerging policies and regulatory initiatives that are relevant for global asset managers.

Stewardship

SRD II requirements

Read more about how AXA IM responds to the SRD II requirements.

Download (Oct 2024)

ESG Methodologies & Frameworks

We believe environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are material to investment performance and potential risk factors for issuers. We also understand that investment opportunities may be revealed through thoughtful ESG analysis, frameworks & tools.

Read more about how our various ESG-related methodologies and frameworks are built and support us in the move towards more sustainable economies, to drive the transition and help clients to protect and grow their investment portfolios.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM Net Zero Targets Methodologies

Find more on the approaches and methodologies used to monitor our progress against our climate commitments and net zero goals.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM ESG Methodologies

Find more on the ESG scoring, carbon & biodiversity footprint methodologies used across our various asset classes.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM Impact Approach for Listed Assets

This framework guides how we select investments to deliver impact in listed fixed income and equity markets.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM Green, Social & Sustainability Bonds (GSSB) Framework

Our proprietary green, social & sustainability bonds (GSSB) framework helps us invest in those bond projects which provide a material benefit to the environment and/or society.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM Sustainability-linked Bonds (SLB) Framework

Our sustainability-linked bonds (SLB) assessment methodology allows us to invest these bonds and carefully monitor the arrival of this new type of fixed income asset class.

ESG Methodologies

AXA IM SFDR Sustainable Investment Approach for Listed Assets

The document presents the methodology used by AXA IM for traditional assets to qualify an issuer as sustainable under the SFDR for Articles 8 and 9 financial products, as required by the regulation in its article 2 (17).

Policies

The document presents AXA IM implementation of sustainability-related labels (Label ISR, Label Greenfin and Towards Sustainability Label). AXA IM aims to offer sustainable funds complying with high Responsible Investment standards to its clients. Sustainable labels provide an additional level of guarantee on the quality of our funds, in line with their respective rulebooks

Read our policy (Oct 24)

Reports

We attach great importance to communicating with our clients in the most transparent and exhaustive way possible, to give them a complete analysis of responsible investment and help them understand it.

View our reports

2024 Report

AXA IM Stewardship report

We see no inherent contradiction between fiduciary duty and the integration of ESG considerations into investment strategies.

2023 Report

PRI 2023 Assessment Report

The assessment report is designed to provide feedback to signatories and support ongoing learning and development.

Download report

2023 Report

AXA IM TCFD / Article 29 report

Our joint Article 29 of the French Energy & Climate Law & Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) report reflects in a comprehensive manner our commitments and strategies regarding the integration ESG criteria in our activities, notably regarding climate change & biodiversity.

Download report

2021 report

Climate action report

As the window to act on the climate emergency narrows, as a global investor, business and employer, we know that our response to tackling the climate crisis must go beyond what is expected of an asset manager calling itself ‘responsible’. Here, we report on our progress, innovations and commitments that lie at the heart of our climate strategy.

Download report

2021 Report

TCFD report

This report aims to address the French Article 29 of the Law Energy-Climate regulatory requirements and to follow The Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) recommendations.

Download report

Transparency

Voting records

Full details of our voting behaviour are available on the Proxy Voting Disclosure website.

View poxy voting disclosure

2021 report

Active ownership and stewardship report

Our 2021 Active Ownership and Stewardship Report details our interactions with issuers over the year, alongside our vision for expanding that activity in the future.

Download report

2020 report