Ageas SA/NV – Lobbying Governance & Transparency

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Lobbying Governance

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Limited	Ageas provides only limited insight into how lobbying is governed and virtually none on how any remaining policy engagement is aligned with its climate ambitions. The company states that its “positioning towards lobbying is also reflecting its concern to prevent corruption: it was outlined in a guidance note in 2021, approved by the Board of Directors,” and that “discussion at the Board and Executive Committee confirmed the commitment included in the Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy.” This indicates that a policy related to lobbying exists and has been reviewed at the highest governance levels, but the disclosure focuses almost exclusively on prohibiting “direct or indirect contributions to political parties, organisations or individuals engaged in politics as a way of obtaining advantage in business transactions,” rather than on managing advocacy positions. Ageas also reports the amount spent on “corporate memberships to sector and professional associations” yet concedes that a “review of Ageas’s activities revealed that Ageas does not perform any of these lobbying activities” and therefore “decided to cancel its registration in the EU transparency register.” Beyond noting an “informal” process where “local Sustainability Teams and Group Sustainability team” engage on trade-association contacts, the company “does not plan” to adopt a public commitment to align engagement with the Paris Agreement, and there is no description of monitoring mechanisms, climate-specific alignment reviews, or named executives responsible for guiding advocacy. Consequently, while Board-level approval of a lobbying guidance note shows some oversight, the company does not disclose processes, metrics, or accountability structures that would demonstrate systematic governance of either direct or indirect climate-related lobbying. View Sources	D

Overall Assessment

Analysis

Score

Limited

Ageas provides only limited insight into how lobbying is governed and virtually none on how any remaining policy engagement is aligned with its climate ambitions. The company states that its “positioning towards lobbying is also reflecting its concern to prevent corruption: it was outlined in a guidance note in 2021, approved by the Board of Directors,” and that “discussion at the Board and Executive Committee confirmed the commitment included in the Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy.” This indicates that a policy related to lobbying exists and has been reviewed at the highest governance levels, but the disclosure focuses almost exclusively on prohibiting “direct or indirect contributions to political parties, organisations or individuals engaged in politics as a way of obtaining advantage in business transactions,” rather than on managing advocacy positions. Ageas also reports the amount spent on “corporate memberships to sector and professional associations” yet concedes that a “review of Ageas’s activities revealed that Ageas does not perform any of these lobbying activities” and therefore “decided to cancel its registration in the EU transparency register.” Beyond noting an “informal” process where “local Sustainability Teams and Group Sustainability team” engage on trade-association contacts, the company “does not plan” to adopt a public commitment to align engagement with the Paris Agreement, and there is no description of monitoring mechanisms, climate-specific alignment reviews, or named executives responsible for guiding advocacy. Consequently, while Board-level approval of a lobbying guidance note shows some oversight, the company does not disclose processes, metrics, or accountability structures that would demonstrate systematic governance of either direct or indirect climate-related lobbying.

View Sources

Lobbying Transparency

Overall Assessment	Analysis	Score
Limited	Ageas provides very limited information on its climate-related lobbying. Its white paper references key policy frameworks – the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Green Deal, and regulations such as the EU Taxonomy and SFDR – but does not disclose any direct or indirect efforts to influence these or other policies. There is no mention of lobbying mechanisms or targets, nor any specific engagement with policymakers. While it outlines broad goals like achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and promoting ESG integration, it does not identify particular policy outcomes it seeks. Statements such as “the EU decided to use the strong arm of financing” and “the EU aims to boost the share of sustainable investments in Europe by reorienting capital flows” describe the regulatory context rather than Ageas’s own lobbying activities, highlighting the absence of detailed disclosure.	D