How students can make AXA stop fuelling the climate crisis

AXA falls behind in climate action: despite their communications, they keep supporting fossil fuel expansion. Explore how, as a student, you can make them change and become part of the solution to the environmental crisis, rather than part of the problem.
French

AXA: France’s leading insurance company

AXA is one of the world’s top insurance leaders and is based in France. Although the company was the first major insurer to divest from coal energy in 2015, its policy on insuring oil and gas isn’t in line with the scientific recommendations, and the French company is now falling behind its peers. AXA keeps insuring major fossil fuels projects, including giant liquefied methane gas terminals in the United States. 

Read more about AXA’s climate policy.

Insurers are acting like pyromaniac firefighters

AXA is more aware than ever of the climate crisis and its consequences. In October 2023 and for the second year running, the company ranked climate risk as the greatest threat to the insurance industry and to society, across all continents.

This greenwashing just reveals their hypocrisy, while the students and recent graduates they seek to recruit have never been as sensitive as they are today to environmental issues. In France, a study found that 70% of 18-30 year olds say they would refuse to apply to a job if the company doesn’t take the environment into account in its business practices. AXA’s lack of action on climate change will cost the company talented workers. Read the latest news on AXA.

Demands to AXA

Stop insuring all new fossil fuel projects

Including the ones developed by fossil companies that AXA considers to be “in transition”.

Stop insuring liquefied natural gas infrastructure

From upstream to downstream.

Increase insurance and investment in clean energy projects

Respect human rights and support a just transition.

AXA keeps insuring destructive fossil fuels

Despite its greenwashing, investigations reveal that AXA insures fossil fuel infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas terminals, that fuel the climate crisis and violate human rights.

Freeport LNG terminal

AXA insures the second largest LNG terminal in the U.S., located in Freeport, Texas. This terminal is known for its long history of mismanagement, which led to a terrible explosion and fireball in June 2022. This explosion was no less than the fourth incident at the facility in the last three years. 

Since reopening in March 2023, it continues to pose a risk and has had numerous, ongoing shut-downs due to problems with its pipes, LNG storage tanks and electric motors and other undisclosed safety issues. Recent optical gas imaging camera readings showed that massive amounts of methane are constantly emitted from Freeport LNG into communities, and the terminal has been fined in April 2024 for violating Texas air pollution emissions rules. 

On top of that, this LNG terminal has a disastrous impact on climate: it emits around 75 MtCO2/year,, which is the equivalent of 25% of France’s domestic CO2 emissions. Read this article for more details.

Freeport LNG terminal

This LNG export terminal, located in Texas, is the second largest in the USA.