• Sustainable finance

Discover circular activities of the insurance, savings, investment and real estate services

Investment Protection & Services (IPS) is the division of the BNP Paribas Group which brings together the business lines specialized in insurance, savings, investment and real estate services. Experts from the four business lines have developed circular economy initiatives to help make BNP Paribas a leader in sustainable finance, in line with its 2025 Growth Technology & Sustainability strategic plan.

The IPS division, under the guidance of Renaud Dumora, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, boasts four specialized and complementary business lines that design a range of value-added and responsible products for private, professional, corporate and institutional clients:

  • asset management with BNP Paribas Asset Management;
  • insurance, savings and retirement with BNP Paribas Cardif;
  • real estate investments and services with BNP Paribas Real Estate;
  • wealth management with BNP Paribas Wealth Management.

The circular economy is one of the areas favoured by BNP Paribas to promote more sustainable finance and help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Group adopted an internal definition of the circular economy in 2019, revised at the end of 2023, allowing all of its teams to rely on the same framework.

The expression “circular economy” refers to an economic system in which the value of products, materials and other resources in the economy is maintained for as long as possible:

  • by improving their efficient use in the production and consumption process;
  • by minimising the generation of waste and the release of hazardous substances at all stages of their life cycle, including through application of the waste treatment hierarchy.

Some examples of circular actions

In the insurance business lines, circularity is based on three main levers: repair, limiting the distance repaired equipment travels, and replacement with refurbished equipment. For instance, in partnership with Orange, BNP Paribas Cardif offers a service contract to protect new or refurbished mobile devices against everyday risks. The customer can choose to have their device repaired rather than purchasing a new one. The insurer also signed a partnership with Boulanger to offer a paid repair service for all household appliances.

In the real estate sector, circularity is reflected in a sustainable approach to the design, construction, management and use of buildings. BNP Paribas Real Estate applies eco-design of buildings and waste recovery in its projects, as for the construction of its METAL57 headquarters, inaugurated in March 2022. It also shares its expertise by participating in collective actions through the Circolab association and the Reuse Booster.

In the wealth and asset management business lines, the circular economy translates into the development and marketing of specialized funds and investment in non-listed pure players. So it was that in 2019, BNP Paribas Asset Management launched the first fund dedicated to the circular economy, BNP Paribas Easy ECPI Circular Economy Leaders, with an outstanding amount of more than €900 million at the end of 2023. The Group’s asset manager has also invested in Phenix, a company specializing in the management of unsold food.

A booklet to grasp everything at a glance

What does the circular economy mean for IPS? To find out all about the actions taken by the insurance, savings, investment and real estate business lines at BNP Paribas, simply download the document!

download the document

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