AG2R La Mondiale
AG2R LA MONDIALE shares this year’s Social Infrastructure award on the strength of a responsible investment approach running since 2006 and now applied across 100% of AUM, notably through Article 8 classification.

Judges highlighted a 2030 coal phase-out commitment alongside biodiversity and anti-deforestation provisions, and active participation in ESG forums and working groups that feed expertise back into investment and governance teams.

Between 2022 and 2025 the group deployed €5.7bn towards sustainable and inclusive economic development, with the 2021 majority-stake acquisition of Domitys, a French senior serviced-residence operator, cited as the standout example of social impact aligned with a long-term demographic trend.

Judges also noted an alpha of 90bps achieved, plus the use of ESG-linked performance metrics in remuneration, a detail panellists found genuinely differentiating. Consistent growth in both real assets under management and the infrastructure component over three years, combined with direct reference to UN SDGs, gave judges confidence this was substance rather than box-ticking, reflecting AG2R’s long experience and depth of expertise in the space.

Ircantec
Ircantec’s joint win recognised a pension scheme that integrates ESG criteria across every asset class while keeping a sharp focus on social infrastructure that reflects shifting demographics, from affordable housing to healthcare, education and local public services across France and Europe.

Judges liked the diversification achieved through social bonds, responsible real estate, impact funds and SME financing, and the granular research underpinning it, including end-use satisfaction and quality-of-life metrics that go well beyond typical financial reporting. Judges were encouraged by continued growth in both overall managed value and the infrastructure component.

Judges particularly welcomed seeing the human side of the strategy set out alongside the financial case, arguing it is rare to see so clearly what social infrastructure means both to the investor and to the people who actually benefit from it.

The intermediate housing model developed for older people was flagged as a template that could usefully be extended to other social infrastructure segments. Direct linkage to UN SDGs reinforced judges’ view that responsibility to society sits at the heart of the strategy.