AXA is stepping up its efforts to reduce its energy consumption

The current environment of tension in the energy market raises the spectre of supply disruptions this winter and means that everyone must play their part.

To respond to the government’s call and contribute to the national effort, AXA is stepping up its efforts to reduce its energy consumption by a further 10% by 2023, through three key commitments:

• Changing office temperature settings to 19°C;
• Temporary grouping of employees during days and periods of low on-site presence so as to reduce area heating and air-conditioning requirements;
• Optimising the electricity consumption of our IT equipment and operating buildings, in addition to turning off neon signs and exterior strip lighting at all administrative sites in France since July 2022.

These measures constitute a shared base for all AXA Group entities in France. They will apply to all AXA sites from October 15, 2022. Each entity may also supplement the plan with its own initiatives in line with local energy-saving requirements and according to its capacities.

This commitment has also been adopted by our general agents, who have undertaken only to use neon signs and window lighting during opening hours.

These measures will enable AXA to intensify its bold and longstanding energy efficiency plan by reducing its energy consumption by a further 10% by 2023 without compromising quality of life at work for its employees.

With its existing plan, the AXA sites in France have already reduced their energy consumption by 17%* between 2021 and 2020, mainly due to the following measures:

• Reduction of the real estate footprint
• Environmental certification of 42%* of buildings
• Investments in energy-saving equipment: centralised heating and air-conditioning, double glazing to reduce energy loss, motion detectors to control lighting, etc.
• Widespread use of work-from-home arrangements

The consumption of electricity on the sites managed by AXA France is obtained exclusively from renewable sources since 2021 - including data centres.

This bold plan is part of a more global approach to reducing our carbon footprint, which also concerns AXA’s insurance and asset management activities, as well as our responsibility to contribute to understanding climate change. AXA’s strategy is not only to adapt, but also to harness our expertise in order to generate solutions.

* source: AXA Group 2021 Integrated Report