Don't Bank on the Bomb

Posted: 17th September 2018

Dear friends,
 
We’re getting ready to tell BNP to stop banking on the bomb. Are you?
 
Next Wednesday, September 26th, we’ll be bringing our message to BNP Paribas: Nuclear Weapons are unacceptable, divest!
 
We know that when you choose the end of nuclear weapons it also means choosing to end investments in nuclear weapon producing companies. That’s why we’re using the 26thof September, the UN Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, to demand BNP Paribas choose wisely.

Join the preparations with our Action Toolkit

BNP Paribas has a huge global marketing campaign where it prides itself on being the bank for a changing world.  We are part of creating that change, and along with the Nuclear Ban Treaty, we have already changed the game on nuclear weapons. Now it’s time for BNP Paribas to also change.
 
We’re asking them to follow three simple steps:

1. Be transparent about their exclusions: BNP Paribas uses a list of controversial companies they avoid investing in, we just want them to make the list public. Simple.
    
2. Fix the leaky policy:  BNP Paribas has a policy restricting investment in companies associated with the production of nuclear weapons- but it’s not good enough. We want them to fix it, and adapt to the changing world by clearly mentioning the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
    
3. Divest!

BNP Paribas is mostly involved in loans and other corporate financial services, this can make it difficult to divest quickly, so we think they should announce the plan to end investments now, and get everything sorted out by the time the Ban Treaty enters into force.
 
We’re preparing to take our campaign public, and we want your help.  
 
Actions are currently being organized around the world. From Brussels to Barcelona; Amsterdam to Wellington, ICAN Campaigners and friends are getting ready to take our message to the streets. Some will set up in front of BNP Paribas offices, while others will hold flash mobs in front of BNP Paribas ATM machines. There are lots of ways to get out there and say:  BNP Paribas: stop investing in nuclear weapons!

We’ll be publishing the full list of events on bnp-divest.org in the coming days.  In the meantime, you can check out our Action Toolkit for all the ways you can get ready for a massive day of action, both on and online.
 

Find out more about this day of action!Get ready with our Action ToolkitAnd for the social media lovers among us:  why not send BNP Paribas a picture of your preparations through social media? Snap a photo of your banner creation process, your planning meeting, or even just the blocked date on your calendar, and tag them! Use @BNPParibas #BNPParibas and #CapturetheChange on twitter and instagram.
 
Next week, we’ll be hitting the streets and we hope to see you out there!
 
Susi Snyder and Beatrice Fihn,
Don’t Bank on the Bomb & ICAN