At the level of AXA's Board of Directors and its Committees

The Sustainability Strategy, as well as any material sustainability commitments, is reviewed at least once a year by the Compensation, Governance and Sustainability Committee which reports to the Board of Directors.

At the Executive level

The Management Committee is supported by the Role in Society Steering Committee (RISSC).

The RISSC is charged with developing and overseeing the operational implementation of the Group’s sustainability strategy and reviewing material sustainability-related issues faced by the Group as well as monitoring material sustainability-related initiatives across the Group. The RISSC reports back to the Management Committee on a regular basis concerning material sustainability‑related decisions taken or to be taken and issues considered in respect of which Management Committee guidance and/or decisions are needed.

Furthermore, the Audit Risk and Compliance Committee (ARCC) is charged with reviewing all material audit, risk (including sustainability-related risks) and compliance issues faced by the Group. The ARCC also reviews mandatory sustainability reporting.

At an operational level

Group Sustainability

The Group Sustainability team was created in 2001 to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the Group's Sustainability strategy. It is also responsible for centralizing relations with social and environmental rating agencies, investors and analysts. It has a dedicated intranet detailing the Group's sustainability policies and initiatives.

Network of local Chief Sustainability Officers

A network of Chief Sustainability Officers has been set up by the CEOs of AXA's local entities, responsible for implementing the Group’s Sustainability strategy and commitments at a local level and promoting best practices. The CSOs are generally members of the entity's local Executive Community and have a broad sustainability mandate.

The Sustainability network meets with the Group Sustainability team during monthly meetings and regular seminars are scheduled every 12 to 18 months. These regular discussions between entities and the Group Sustainability team enables the sharing of best practices and updates from the Group Sustainability team on the Sustainability strategy. The CSOs are supported by local sustainability teams.

Expertise from other Group teams

The Sustainability team works closely with the Group's various support functions in connection with their projects (e.g. finance, procurement, brand, risk management, underwriting, human resources, legal, public affairs, communication). The Group Sustainability team also works closely with a number of experts within entities, such as the Responsible Investment Research team at AXA IM.

Voluntary maturity model to drive the Group Sustainability strategy within entities

Since 2010, the Group has developed a self-assessment questionnaire, the AXA Entities Sustainability Index (AESI), to evaluate the maturity of 30+ entities in terms of sustainability. This self-assessment, conducted annually, enables the Group to report on the concrete implementation of the strategy within each AXA entity. The entities use this self-assessment to benchmark their performance and identify appropriate steps for local action plans to align with the Group's Sustainability strategy.

The self-assessment tool consists of 28 questions divided into three pillars (Economic, Environmental, Social) covering the entire spectrum of sustainability issues: climate change & biodiversity, inclusion, corporate governance, ESG in compensation & benefits, responsible investment, codes of business conduct, public affairs, transparency and trust, bridge understanding, environmentally sustainable offers, environmental reporting, digital sustainability, energy consumption, upskilling, inclusive protection products, inclusive procurement, corporate citizenship & philanthropy, labor practices indicators and due diligence.

Each question assesses the maturity level of the entity on a scale from 1 to 5, with supporting comments and attachments as evidence. A global score is calculated on a 100-point scale. The final score provides each entity with a ranking and a customized report that includes an overview of the entity's performance and best practices from other entities.