Corporate Responsbility
AXA Hearts in Action
AXA Hearts in Action is AXA’s international volunteering program. It was initiated by AXA Group’s founder Claude Bébéar in 1991 and has since been adopted by all AXA entities around the world, from Italy to Hong Kong. AXA Hearts in Action is a fundamental part of our culture.
In the UK, our AXA Hearts in Action program aims to contribute to a positive societal and environmental impact through employee volunteering, expertise and related financial support and in-kind donations. It’s not just about giving time to great causes, it’s about working together for a better future, sharing knowledge and expertise and helping vulnerable communities around the world. This is underpinned by an ambition to positively affect social mobility in the communities where we operate, which is at the core of everything we do.
AXA Hearts in Action in the UK embodies not only the Group’s core values, such as integrity, courage, and team spirit, but also a commitment to moving the world forward. We do this through our employees being committed to serving others and the meaning we give to our business: to act for human progress by protecting what matters.
In line with the Group’s sustainability strategy, our colleague volunteering activities focus on two pillars:
- Climate change & biodiversity: activities which aim to protect the environment, reduce risks of natural disasters, and preserve biodiversity.
- Inclusive protection: protecting vulnerable populations and focusing on health and disease prevention, social inclusion, and risk prevention.
AXA UK offers its employees 21 hours per year (pro rata) to engage in a wide range of activities, including individual volunteering, charitable team building, or fundraising. We have increasingly encouraged skills-based volunteering, where employees use their professional and personal skills to further increase our positive impact on society and the planet.
Charity fundraising
At AXA UK, we believe in using our business as a force for good. That's why we're proud to work closely with a number of community and charity partners, chosen by our employees through an annual voting process. These partnerships allow us to align our efforts with causes that truly resonate with our people and our values.
Our charity partners are Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Place2Be, and Teenage Cancer Trust. Each of these organisations shares our commitment to supporting those in need and making a positive impact on our communities.
Our three-year partnerships with these charities allow us to build strong, lasting relationships. Together, we can tackle systemic issues and make a real, measurable difference in the lives of those we support. This long-term commitment also enables us to plan and execute fundraising and volunteering initiatives more effectively, maximising our impact.
Delivering impact and making a difference
We’re proud of our achievements over the years, especially in terms of reducing our energy consumption and offsetting our carbon emissions. This video sums up our most important initiatives.
AXA Research Fund
The AXA Research Fund aims to support scientists and researchers whose projects will contribute to a better, safer world – whether that’s through scientific discoveries or through finding new ways to better understand and manage risks. The fund has supported 665 research projects across 38 countries since its formation in 2007. 134 of these projects are in the UK and have received €25M in funding since January 2017.
Being a force for good
We use our collective energy to contribute to a healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable future for everyone. To help us do this and move the world forward, we believe in setting stretching sustainability targets, and we have done for many years. Our latest set of targets focussed on emissions from power, business travel, paper and waste management.
Climate change
We’re fully committed to the global effort to limit climate change, as part of our mission to help people live better lives. We fund research and monitoring - to help understand it, and support campaigns and actions - to help slow it down.