The 20th
anniversary
edition
March 14 & 15, 2025
at UNESCO • Paris

Jean-Philippe Dogneton, tell us about the origins of the Macif Terre et Vivant fund...

Today, every human activity impacts the environment and biodiversity. Our challenge was therefore: how can we best direct our investments to meet humanity's long-term basic needs? It was following this reflection that Macif created Macif Terre & Vivant, a fund dedicated to the preservation, protection, and restoration of life, in collaboration with Swen Capital Partner. The goal is to finance innovative activities in Private Equity and Real Assets that rethink how we meet our fundamental needs to limit our impacts on ecosystems and contribute to improving the health of our planet and all species that inhabit it. As a mutual company and institutional investor, Macif has a crucial role to play in this impending ecological transition.

With Macif Terre et Vivant, we want to become involved in regions across France and invest in companies committed to the environment, focusing on five key themes we've defined around sustainability: food, water management and ecological sanitation, housing and urban planning, the circular economy, and the energy transition.

Macif has always had the desire to act locally, and already incorporates its responsible investment policy at the heart of territories, with direct investments in innovative and virtuous companies. One example is the start-up Lhyfe, the first producer and supplier of renewable green hydrogen, which Macif supports.

This Macif Terre et Vivant fund, which serves as a major lever for action, continues this trajectory and is fully aligned with the Climate and Transitions ambition of our 2024-2026 strategic plan.

As an insurer, what is your responsibility in the ecological transition?

We operate in a rapidly changing environment. As an insurer, we are a key observer of climate-related disruptions. For example, it is estimated that expenses related to climate-related claims will increase by 93% from 2020-2050 compared to 1989-2019. We also know that climate change and pollution have direct consequences on the health of our members.

Aware of the urgency, Macif refuses to remain inactive. In 2023, we made significant progress, with major divestments from companies in the oil sector with excessive greenhouse gas emissions. This proactive approach enabled us to reduce the carbon intensity of our investment portfolios by nearly 20% compared to 2022. In 2023, Macif’s investments related to sustainability totaled 5.5 billion euros. We believe that dialogue and company-to-company exchange are fundamental to successfully navigating this transition.

We also want to support our members in this great challenge of safeguarding our planet, with a deep commitment to providing them with quality, solidarity-based, and accessible protection, so they can also be active participants in this journey. This involves preventive actions, transforming our business, such as developing re-used parts in vehicle repairs, and offering services that encourage responsible behavior.

How does Macif’s model respond to the major ecological and societal challenges we will face in the coming years?

Macif’s mutual model is fully aligned with the challenge of shaping a new society. Regarding climate, the economy, and purchasing power, Macif aims to continue providing solutions that are tailored and accessible to all, to address the new challenges and vulnerabilities related to the major transformations ahead. Acting locally, at the heart of communities, in response to new risks and needs, is the ambition behind our strategic plan, IMPACT Macif: leveraging the excellence of all the fundamental aspects of our mutual model to tackle tomorrow's challenges.

We’ve proven that it’s possible to be a different kind of company: one that is civic-minded, committed, and puts economic performance at the service of a true societal and environmental project. With 19 million contracts and 7 billion euros in revenue, we are a large company, but we’ve retained the spirit of engagement, proximity, and agility of smaller structures.

We’ve set an ambitious strategic plan, driven by four key priorities. The climate, of course, is our top priority through all our actions, along with defending purchasing power, strengthening intergenerational bonds to protect all generations sustainably, and reinforcing the unique "affectio societatis" in the mutualist world that binds us and serves as the foundation for all our commitments—to the environment, to people, and to life.

Le Figaro – Carole Bellemare

Photo credit: Franck Beloncle