Thursday 08-01-2026 - 13:28

GCU has divested from Allianz after student concerns were raised. In October 2025, VP GSBS met with the Chief Financial Officer to discuss the universities investment portfolio due to concerns over the universities investments in a couple of companies, primarily Allianz. After communicating with the CFO between October and December, just before the break it was confirmed that the university would divest from Allianz as the company does not align with their ethical investment policy.

The divestment process is now complete and the over £110,000 the university invested in Allianz (according to the July 2024 breakdown of investments) has now been withdrawn. This comes after a successful divestment campaign by a student (Laura Yapp) in 2022/2023, when the university divested from other unethical companies such as Shell, BP and BlackRock.

So who are the Allianz Group and why shouldn’t GCU invest in them?

The Allianz Group is one of the largest insurers and asset managers in the world (1), who have been a target of global campaigns of direct action due to their unethical dealings, including investing in numerous arms companies (2, 3, 4).  As outlined in the sources below, Allianz are involved with companies who violate human rights, destroy the environment and supply weapons, enabling genocide. 

Allianz insures (among others):

• Textron, a US multi-industry company who describe themselves as one of today’s leading aerospace and defence companies. They supply critical components of the US Nuclear Triad and their T-6 trainer is the primary trainer for the Israeli Air Force (5, 6, 7).
• Calcasieu Pass methane export terminal, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and export facility in Louisiana, which local climate action groups claim will have a devastating climate impact, severe health consequences for locals and destroy the local economy and environment (8, 9).

Allianz invest in (among others):

• Serco Group who run 4 immigration removal centres, including Yarl’s Wood, and make millions in profits while subjecting inmates to ghastly conditions (10, 11).
• Chevron, one of the largest oil and gas companies, responsible for huge environmental destruction and human rights abuses (12, 13, 14, 15, 16).

Allianz’s investments reported by Boycott Bloody Insurance (17):

Investment data as of February 2025, reported by Al-Haq (18):

**Note this is as of Feburary 2025 so may not be current but still highlights Allianz’s complicity in the arms trade and genocide.
 

Allianz received a large amount of scrutiny and outrage over their insurance of Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer who provides around 85% of combat drones and land based equipment for Israel and are accused of being complicit in the war crimes being carried out against Palestinians. Allianz dropped Elbit Systems at the end of 2025, which is seen as a huge victory for direct action campaigns.  (19, 20).

If you would like to get involved with ethical finance work, please reach out to vp.gsbs@gcustudents.co.uk!!

 

Sources:

1.  https://www.allianz.com/en/about-us/company/at-a-glance.html
2.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74871k7k73o
3. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pro-palestine-activists-target-uk-offices-germanys-allianz-2024-10-08/
4. https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1657136
5. https://www.forbes.com/companies/textron/
6. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2023/10/02/which-companies-will-benefit-most-from-modernization-of-the-us-nuclear-arsenal/
7. https://defense.txtav.com/en/about
8. https://ventureglobal.com/calcasieu-pass/
9. https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2025/08/environmental-groups-file-federal-lawsuit-against-cp2-lng-export-facility-s
10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66999233
11. https://boycottbloodyinsurance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SERCO-briefing-finished-designed.docx.pdf
12. https://professional.ft.com/en-gb/chevron/
13. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/exxon-and-chevrons-billions-in-profits-a-climate-disaster-for-us-all/
14. https://boycottbloodyinsurance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ensuring-Climate-Crisis-The-Insurance-Industry-and-Fossil-Fuel-Giants-1.pdf
15. https://amazonwatch.org/news/2025/0529-chevrons-toxic-empire-on-trial
16. https://www.foei.org/struggle/chevron-in-ecuador/
17. https://boycottbloodyinsurance.org/allianz-brieifing/
18. https://www.alhaq.org/cached_uploads/download/2025/03/11/ensuring-genocide-report-1741690872.pdf
19. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-close-giving-israels-largest-arms-company-ps2bn-contract-train-troops
20. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/allianz-and-aviva-drop-elbit-systems-insurance-after-palestine-protests
21. https://www.gcustudents.co.uk/articles/how-student-power-became-green-power