NATIXIS // 2021 Universal Registration Document

ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 2021 Business line contributions to green and sustainable growth

Development of the circular economy 7.2.3.4

invest in companieswhose businessmodel is based on subscription. The subscription economy favors the use rather than the ownership of a product. Today, the subscription economy is booming and concerns all economic sectors. It is part of the new commitmentsof the circular economy. In a rapidly changingworld, this fund invests in companies that are benefiting from changes in consumption habits caused by: the emergence of digital technology,whichfavorsthe personalization V and contractualization of subscriptions/desubscriptions; the changing desires of new consumers, who favor the experience V rather than the ownership of a good; the contributionto a service approachby companies, based on the V functionality of their production and the sustainability of their approach. As such, the fund is invested in listed companies that provide products or services on a subscriptionbasis, thus promoting a more responsible economy. Launched in December 2019, the fund’s assets amounted to $223 million at the end of 2021. Natixis Assurances is also committedto limiting the consumptionof resources: when it comes to insurance of multimedia devices, Natixis Assurancesfavors repairs to replacementwhenever possible. In the event of a replacement, the policyholder is offered a refurbished device rather than a new refit. At the beginning of 2021, Natixis Assurances began a project on the use of re-used parts, with the aim of increasing the rate of use, in conjunction with the networks of experts, garages and waste-recycling equipment.

AEW chairs the Circolab non-profit association created in February 2018 to promote the circular economy in the construction and real estate sector and in particular to encourage the reuse of materials via various initiatives: publication of reuse guidelines, promotion of best practices, development of shared tools, creation of an ecosystemof real estate sector players. Circolab currently has around seventy members (public and private sector contracting authorities, construction firms, building materials manufacturers, project managers, and associations). Several working groups have been created, including one to estimate the goodwill in buildings that are part of the circular economy, during their construction or renovation. Work has also been completed to share best practice for buildings in use and to factor reuse into Building Information Modeling (BIM). In 2021 a circular economy trophy was launched for students to raise awareness of this issue. Several leading schools will participate, including ESTP, Arts et Métiers, Centrale, Ponts et Chaussées, INSA, etc. AEW has also created a Reuse label and organized several events to present its work at conferences. The traditional model of extracting, producing, consuming and disposing is now outdated. The circular economy, which is now needed, aims to deploy sustainable models that reduce our impact on the environment and have a positive societal action. To support a more responsible economy, Thematics AM has developed a strategy on the subscription economy, which aims to

7

487

www.natixis.com

NATIXIS UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2021