2005 Clean Investment Campaign
In 2005, the university Clean Investment Campaign was launched. Our research into university shareholding initially focussed on six UK-based companies, which were all in the top 100 arms companies worldwide; BAE Systems, VT Group, Rolls Royce, Smiths Group, Cobham and GKN. We contacted 183 colleges and universities, 67 of which confirmed that they held investments in the arms trade. Those that held shares directly, as opposed to in a pooled fund, provided us with the exact number -- eight universities, for example, held over 100,000 shares in BAE Systems. 75 replied that they owned no shares in any of the six companies, although only a very small number of these confirmed that they have an ethical investment policy which excludes arms companies. The majority of the remaining 41 universities either did not respond to our enquiry or provided information from which we could not ascertain if arms companies were included in their investment portfolio.
By the end of the year, a number of recently launched campaigns had already achieved success. The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) sold their 62,000 arms company shares. The York University Student Union voted overwhelmingly to support the adoption of an ethical investment policy, when CAAT revealed that the university held 115,000 shares in BAE Systems. Around the country, in Manchester, Bristol, Bangor and Lancaster, for example, campaigns were steadily gaining steam. The first steps had been taken in ending universities' affiliation with the gunrunners.
Check the 2005 share figures here