AXA IM's commitment

Institutional investors and clients are increasingly informed and are recognising that Responsible Investing is no longer about values alone. It is also about performance and additional returns. It is about hedging against the downside of globalisation and other fundamental macro trends.

In addition, the measuring of extra –financial factors such as a company’s impact on the environment and society, or the controls in place on the appointment or recruitment of the executive board is becoming imperative for long-term investors.

Our aim is to integrate Responsible Investment practices in each of our expertises and to create innovative products which answer the beliefs and expectations of clients, delivering long-term performance.

RI Search

In September 2007, AXA IM created an internal central research service, RI Search, whose objective is to provide information on extra-financial factors (EFF) to support our fund managers in their investment decision-making.

RI Inside

Since 2005, AXA IM has also defined a Responsible Investment strategy: RI Inside. This strategy is about bringing pure and innovative RI products to market, such as the AXA WF Framlington Human Capital Fund, while progressively enabling a value-added approach to interpretation of ESG factors into traditional financial analysis.

AXA IM is a Signatory of the European SRI Transparency Guidelines

The AXA WF Framlington Human Capital Fund is an official signatory of the European SRI Transparency Guidelines, implemented by the European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif) with the support of the European Commission. The aims of the guidelines are to provide a framework for greater clarity and accountability on the processes and principles of SRI funds and supports best practice in this sector.

What is Responsible Investment for an asset manager?

- Integration / mainstreaming – integrating extra-financial factors: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities, into the mainstream investment decision-making process.

- Ownership / engagement – seeking changes in corporate behaviour through dialogue with companies and, ultimately, the responsible exercise of shareholder rights. We are engaged in policies, such as our  voting policy, that encourage companies to act responsibly towards the environment, their employees, the community and their shareholders.

- Product development  – creating innovative products which answer the beliefs and expectations of clients, while aiming to deliver long-term performance.