Our key environmental figures

For many years now, ERGO has assumed responsibility for the environment. We actively support climate protection with our climate-neutral business operations.

A key component of our Group-wide environmental and climate protection strategy is the continuous reduction of our consumption of resources and the resulting CO2 emissions. In our reporting on our consumption of resources and CO2 emissions, we focus on the main direct impacts of our business operations on the environment and climate. These are the consumption of paper, energy and water, the waste we produce and the number of business trips made. The resulting CO2 emissions are measured and validated by external auditors for the entire Munich Re Group including ERGO (see Munich Re Corporate Responsibility Report 2019, p. 85). Since 2009, we have been able to reduce our Group-wide CO2 emissions by 48.3 percent per employee.

Notes on the environmental indicators:

In the financial year 2019, the ERGO Group had 26,728 employees (see also Employee indicators). The consumption of resources per employee refers to in-house staff and salaried field staff. Self-employed sales agents are not included in the environmental indicators.

To calculate the Group-wide carbon savings targets from 2009 to 2015 (target: -10 percent kg of CO2 per employee), we used the conversion factors of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) and the Association for Environmental Management and Sustainability in Financial Institutions (VfU) – from 2011 in each case. Green electricity was not included in the accounting, thereby ensuring that the quantitative values remain comparable over the target period. In 2015, a new environmental and climate protection strategy was approved by the Board of Management and the carbon savings target was expanded. From 2009 to 2020, our goal is to achieve Group-wide carbon savings (kg of CO2 per employee) of 35 percent.

As of 2016, the Group’s carbon emissions will be calculated on the basis of the latest conversion factors of the GHG Protocol and the VfU. The GHG Protocol will be used for the conversion of Scope 1 emissions (direct energy), for electricity falling under Scope 2 emissions (indirect energy), and for the “short- and long-haul flights” components of the “business trips” element of Scope 3 emissions.

At the end of 2019, ERGO obtained 70.7 percent of its electricity from renewable sources (2018: 67:4 percent). This is calculated as an emission of zero. The VfU conversion factors are taken as the basis for calculating the Scope 2 emissions “district heating” and the Scope 3 emissions for paper, water and waste, as well as the “company vehicles, taxis, hire cars, train journeys” components of the “business trips” element.

As from the year 2017, environmental reporting includes the figures of the Munich Health companies. The international health insurance companies managed by Munich Health were transferred to ERGO International in 2017.

Carbon emission sources

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from primary energy consumption (natural gas, heating oil, emergency diesel generators, fuel for company cars)
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from procured energy (purchase of electricity, district heating and district cooling)
• Scope 3: Other indirect emissions (business trips, consumption of paper and water, waste)