Activists wearing tuxedos and ball gowns distributed “radioactive” food and drinks to the staff of the bank, while musicians played classical music. The action was organised to highlight the consequences of the bank’s investment in the US arms companies ATK, GenCorp, and General Dynamics. These companies are three major producers of uranium weapons, which contain radioactive and chemically toxic depleted uranium.
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In a press release of July 2006, AXA announes to pull out investments of companies that produce anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. This is surprising good news from the Paris headquarters of this bank-insurance company. For last years AXA has shown heavy reluctance to adopt stricter weapon investment policies.

Europe-wide protests against investment bank’s funding for dangerous Belene nuclear plant
In Brussels and in over 20 cities across Europe, protests by environmental groups intensified pressure on BNP Paribas to withdraw its funding of the controversial Belene Buglarian nuclear power plant. In Brussels, activists from Friends of the Earth Europe, Netwerk Vlaanderen, Réseau financement alternatif and Friends of the Earth Flanders and Brussels gathered outside the BNP Paribas office dressed in radiation suits, declaring the bank "radioactively contaminated." Stop BNP Paribas and sign the online petition.

Amnesty International France and Handicap International France decided to break off all their insurance contracts with the French group AXA. This rift has been caused by AXA’s ongoing investments in producers of cluster munition and anti-personnel mines. These investments are strongly opposed to the struggle of the two organisations against these civilian-killing weapon systems. The decision was made public on the 1st of March, on the 8th anniversary of the activation of the Ottawa Treaty against anti-personnel mines.

Today, global warming and climate change are hot topics. The question is what the financial institutions do about this.  ING and Fortis have already taken up the challenge of becoming climate neutral. At the level of climate friendly products, Fortis, Dexia, ING and KBC are amongst the active players. But a clear engagement not to finance climate damaging products is still missing. The Bank of America is one of the first banks to take a step in this direction. They plan to achieve a seven percent reduction in the emission of greenhouse gasses in their investments in energy and utility companies.

 New Belgian law is the first of its kind

On the night of the 1st of March 2007,  the Belgian Parliament approved a law forbidding investments in cluster munitions.  Belgium is now the first country to prevent the flow of money to producers of cluster munitions. The fact that such a ban is necessary is clear from the report ‘Explosive Investments’ that Netwerk Vlaanderen recently published. The report reveals that 68 international bank groups invest a combined total of more than €13 billion in cluster munition producers.