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 on a random basis by external auditors for the entire Munich Re Group including ERGO. ERGO has exceeded our Group-wide target of reducing our carbon footprint by 35% by 2020 compared to 2009. In 2020, we were able to reduce our Group-wide CO2 emissions by 51.6 percent per employee.
General information
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year) |
Total number of staff |
|
26,436 |
26,727 |
28,522 |
33,152 |
Staff covered by the survey of environmental indicators |
% |
80.5 |
80.9 |
81.7 |
16.3 |
Staff working at a site with a certified environmental management system
|
% |
55.91 |
45.7 |
42.4 |
16.3 |
1 In 2020, our site in Poland was ISO14001 certified. |
Carbon emissions
(CO2)
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year) |
Total carbon emissions |
t |
53,954 |
57,562
|
62,510 |
131,216 |
Direct carbon emissions from primary energy consumption – Scope 11 |
t |
37,539 |
36,288
|
37,946 |
55,648 |
Indirect carbon emissions from procured energy – Scope 22 |
t |
13,053 |
13,812
|
16,803 |
62,869 |
Other indirect carbon emissions – Scope 33 |
t |
3,3624 |
7,462
|
7,761 |
12,699 |
Carbon emissions per employee |
t |
2.041 |
2.154
|
2.196 |
4.213 |
Carbon savings per employee since 2009
|
t |
51.55 |
48.87
|
47.88
|
|
1 Direct emissions from primary energy consumption (natural gas, heating oil, emergency diesel power, fuel for company cars).
2 Indirect emissions from procured energy (purchase of electricity, district heating, and district cooling).
3 Other indirect emissions (business trips, consumption of paper and water, waste).
4 Pandemic-related decrease in 2020 due to high home-office rates. |
Energy consumption
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year)
|
Total direct energy consumption
(natural gas, natural gas for CHPs, fuel for emergency generators) |
MWh |
161,974 |
152,369
|
159,853 |
188,935 |
Natural gas |
MWh |
57,317 |
50,955
|
56,236 |
146,993 |
Natural gas for thermal power plants
|
MWh |
104,009 |
100,940
|
103,095 |
41,471 |
Fuel for emergency generator
|
MWh |
648 |
474
|
523 |
471 |
Total consumption indirect energy
(purchased electricity, district heating, district cooling)
|
MWh |
104,021 |
113,472
|
123,228 |
204,325 |
Purchased electricity |
MWh |
17,722 |
18,964
|
22,658 |
123,398 |
Procured green electricity |
MWh |
40,189 |
45,787
|
46,863 |
12,620 |
District cooling |
MWh |
3,847 |
4,343
|
4,958 |
5,136 |
District heating |
MWh |
42,263 |
44,379
|
48,749 |
63,171 |
Percentage of total electricity consumption from green electricity |
in % |
69.4 |
70.71
|
67.41 |
9.28 |
Total carbon emissions from energy |
t |
45,896 |
44,700
|
49,210 |
101,257 |
Carbon emissions from energy per employee |
t |
1.736 |
1.672
|
1.725 |
3.251 |
Consumption of paper1 |
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year) |
Total consumption of paper |
t |
4222 |
590
|
728 |
1,165 |
Paper consumption per employee
|
t |
0.016 |
0.022
|
0.026 |
0.037 |
Share of recycled paper
|
%
|
21.3
|
53.9
|
49.4
|
53.9
|
Total carbon emissions from paper |
t |
498 |
697
|
859 |
1,397 |
Carbon emissions from paper per employee |
t |
0.019 |
0.026
|
0.030 |
0.045 |
1 Printer and copy paper
2 Pandemic-related decline in 2020 due to shift to home office and the increasing digitalisation of processes. |
Water1 |
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year) |
Total water consumption |
m3 |
344,1222
|
437,457
|
415,652 |
470,273 |
Water consumption per employee |
m3 |
13.017
|
16.368
|
14.573 |
15.098 |
Total CO2 emissions from water consumption |
t |
242 |
308
|
292 |
348 |
CO2 emissions from water consumption per employee |
t |
0.009 |
0.012
|
0.010 |
0.011 |
1 Our locations withdraw their water from the local (municipal) networks. Our waste water is discharged sanitary water.
2 Pandemic-related decrease in 2020 due to high home-office rates.
|
Waste
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year) |
Total waste |
t |
4,7351
|
5,314
|
6,320 |
10,558 |
Waste by type and disposal method1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recycled materials |
t |
2,525
|
2,793
|
3,570 |
6,951 |
Incinerated waste
|
t |
1,107 |
933
|
1,371 |
1,741 |
Special disposal of waste for reuse/recovery |
t |
207 |
274
|
278 |
572 |
Organic waste |
t |
14 |
4 |
1 |
146 |
Compost |
t |
512 |
888
|
655 |
946 |
Other waste
|
t |
370 |
422
|
445 |
202 |
Waste per employee |
t |
0.179 |
0.199
|
0.222 |
0.339 |
Total carbon emissions from waste |
t |
1,606 |
1,680
|
1,957 |
1,853 |
Carbon emissions from waste per employee |
t |
0.061 |
0.063
|
0.069 |
0.059 |
1 Pandemic-related decrease in 2020 due to high home-office rates.
2 The type of waste disposal greatly depends on the respective infrastructure for waste disposal and local regulations. Wherever possible, waste and recyclable materials are separated, recycled and disposed of by regional service suppliers.
|
Business travel
|
|
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2009
(base year)
|
Total business travel |
km |
46,314,3281
|
102,969,152
|
102,452,202 |
153,116,204 |
Air travel |
km |
7,588,751
|
40,094,092
|
39,209,702 |
45,577,642 |
Automotive travel (company cars, hire vehicles)
|
km |
34,909,236
|
48,167,780
|
49,706,634 |
90,195,858 |
Rail travel2
|
km |
3,816,341
|
14,707,280
|
13,535,866 |
17,343,704 |
Business travel per employee
|
km |
1,752 |
3,853
|
3,592 |
4,916 |
Total carbon emissions for business travel |
t |
5,709 |
10,177
|
10,191 |
26,360 |
Carbon emissions for business travel per employee |
t |
0.216
|
0.377
|
0.357 |
0.846 |
1 Pandemic-related decline in 2020.
2 In Germany, long-distance rail travel with Deutsche Bahn has been climate-neutral since 1 July 2011 due to the use of green electricity.
|
Notes on the environmental indicators:
An important component of our Group-wide environmental and climate protection strategy is the continuous reduction of our resource consumption and our resulting carbon emissions. In our reporting on consumption and carbon emissions, we focus on the significant direct impacts of our business operations on the environment and climate – namely our consumption of paper, energy and water; the amount of waste we produce; and the number of business trips undertaken. External quality-assurance specialists measure and spot-check the resulting carbon emissions for the entire Munich Re Group, including ERGO.
The consumption of resources per employee refers to in-house staff and salaried field staff. Self-employed field agents are not included in the environmental indicators.
To calculate the Group-wide carbon savings targets from 2009 to 2015 (target: –10% kg of carbon per employee), we used in each case the 2011 conversion factors of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) and the Association for Environmental Management and Sustainability in Financial Institutions (VfU). 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 adopted by the Board of Management. The carbon savings target was expanded. From 2009 to 2020, 35% were to be saved in terms of kilogram of carbon per employee. ERGO has exceeded this target: 2020, we have reduced our Group-wide carbon emissions by 51.6 percent per employee. As of 2016, the Group’s carbon emissions are calculated on the basis of the latest conversion factors of the GHG Protocol and the VfU. The GHG Protocol is 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 flights” components of the “business trips” element of Scope 3 emissions. Electricity from renewable sources is deemed as having zero emissions. Country-specific conversion factors were used for the remaining electricity consumption. 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 vehicles, train journeys” components of the “business trips” element. Business trips with company cars are calculated using individual factors, if available. If not available, the VfU conversion factor is used.
CO2 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)