Positive impact through responsible investment
We firmly believe that success in our industry involves more than just excellent financial returns. This is why we have been developing Ardian’s approach to responsible investment for more than 10 years. We are constantly experimenting and learning so that we can improve the way we measure ESG performance in our investments and set meaningful targets for improvement. We report in detail on these issues to our LPs and actively support industry initiatives to promote responsible investment.
“Ardian empowers individuals to collectively create sustainable value for all stakeholders” This is our company’s vision for sustainability, which draws together the essential elements of our approach – Ardian’s role as a catalyst for change; the importance of each individual’s actions and the power of collaboration; and the need to ensure the value we create together benefits all stakeholders.
Our Responsible Investment Policy
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156+
individualized roadmaps for portfolio companies since 2009 (direct funds)
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80%
of the companies in our Buyout, Expansion and Infrastructure portfolios that are part of the Ardian Sustainability Program have put in place employee profit-sharing schemes during our ownership
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290+
GPs reviewed since 2011 (Secondaries & Primaries)
Architects of Lasting Change
Ardian’s new corporate video tells our story in our own words – how we embrace change, invest today to shape tomorrow, build to last, provide strength, share values and accelerate change for all our stakeholders.
Sustainability Program and main priorities
Our aim is to maximize Ardian’s positive contribution to society (people and planet) and ensure our company can grow sustainably by incorporating Environmental, Social and Governance considerations into our investment process and throughout our operations. Through our investments and corporate actions, we endeavour to address the four main priorities for Sustainability at Ardian: Climate Change, Diversity & Equal Opportunities, Profit Sharing and Governance & Ethics.
Climate Change
Ardian aims to take a leading role in addressing the global challenge of climate change. We actively support multiple industry-wide initiatives to address this threat and we are committed to helping our portfolio companies identify emissions and carbon trajectories, and develop effective operational plans to reduce their carbon emissions. At the corporate level, climate change is also a source of major concern and several employee-led initiatives are aimed at reducing Ardian’s carbon footprint throughout our offices and operations.
Diversity and Equal Opportunities
We believe greater diversity in our organization will both fulfil Ardian’s social obligations and improve our performance. Our membership of the global Investor Leadership Network represents a public commitment to improve gender balance within Ardian and within our portfolio companies and funds. Beyond gender balance, Ardian is committed to developing and strengthening Diversity and Inclusion throughout our company. We also monitor diversity indicators for our portfolio companies and our Fund of Funds holdings.
Profit Sharing
Our approach to responsible investment is rooted in the idea of sharing, beginning with our decision in 2008 to share capital gains at exit with all employees of our portfolio companies whenever possible. Through our annual engagement program, we actively encourage all our portfolio companies to establish their own profit-sharing mechanism for employees.
Governance and Ethics
As Ardian’s size and impact continues to grow, so does our responsibility to set the best possible example for our wider community of stakeholders. To ensure this, Ardian favors the appointment of independent members to Management Boards and actively promotes the formalization of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability policies in all our portfolio companies. We also pay close attention to codes of ethics and conduct at both corporate and investment levels.
Collaborating for sustainable finance
Initiative Climat International
Ardian was a founding member of the Initiative Climat, formerly known as IC20, which commits signatories to measure and mitigate CO2 emissions of their portfolio companies
We monitor the ESG performance of our investments closely and are extending this to measure their impacts on society using the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
We are as strong supporter of the PRI and have achieved leading scores from this global organization for our sustainability performance
Ardian have joined the collaborative platform in november 2019. The ILN is an opportunity to find solutions to growing inequalities and environmental risks, together with major international institutions.
ESG Manager of the Year 2024
In October 2024, Ardian was awarded “IJ Global ESG Asset Manager of the Year,” at the IJ Global Awards 2024.
2022 ESG Infrastructure Equity Investor - IJ Global
In October 2022; Ardian has been awarded “2022 ESG Infrastructure Equity Investor” at the IJGlobal ESG Awards.
Sustainable Investor of the Year, Global - Infrastructure Investor
In March 2022, Ardian Infrastructure won the award of Sustainable Investor of the Year, Global, by Infrastructure Investor.
Energy Investor of the Year, Europe - Infrastructure Investor
In March 2022, Ardian Infrastructure won the award of Energy Investor of the Year, Europe, by Infrastructure Investor.
Back in 2019, Ardian started developing Ardian Air Carbon, a pioneering solution to support airports in their sustainability strategy towards net-zero...
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch Responsible finance
To meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and reduce the impact of climate change, airports have to evaluate their long-term resilience and innovate...
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch Responsible finance
'The Fight for a Net-Zero Aviation' - Ardian's take on aviation decarbonization
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Responsible finance
The aviation industry is an important contributor to both global and local economies and plays a key role in connecting territories. As the urgency...
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch Responsible finance
REPLAY | The Fight for a Net-Zero Aviation, The Augmented Infrastructure Part III - November 9, 2022
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch Responsible finance
To meet Paris agreement targets and contain the effects of climate change, the air transport industry is rethinking its ecosystem model and developing...
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch
Investing In Climate Action: The Case For Hydrogen is a collaborative effort between Ardian and business leaders in the infrastructure industry.
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Market watch
Rigorous management and measurement systems for workplace Health and Safety are important but will not ensure improvements on their own. To achieve...
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Infrastructure, Sustainability Responsible finance
Ardian has published its Activity and Sustainability Reports for 2021, outlining key developments during the year and initiatives under way to prepare...
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Sustainability, Ardian Inside Ardian
Invested in the Energy Transition
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Sustainability, Infrastructure, Investor Relations Responsible finance
Invested in data & AI to accelerate the change
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Sustainability, Expansion, Investor Relations Responsible finance
Invested in innovative health solutions
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Sustainability, Buyout, Investor Relations Responsible finance
Publications
The Ardian Foundation
Ardian’s commitment to social mobility.
The Ardian Foundation, set up in 2010, funds projects that improve educational and employment opportunities for children, young people and entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Ardian depends on the collective intelligence of all our employees.