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GRI reporting and Global Compact Communication on Progress

In preparing the Munich Re corporate responsibility portal, we have taken as a basis the G3 Principles of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Financial Services Sector Supplement. Our aim is to make our performance more transparent and comprehensible. Application Level B has been confirmed by the GRI.

In August 2007, Munich Re joined the United Nations Global Compact. The indicators presented in the GRI disclosures simultaneously fulfil the requirements of the annual » Communication on Progress Report. We thus document the measures we have taken to firmly anchor the ten principles of the Global Compact in our operations.

The following tables contain summarised comments on the individual indicators and refer to Munich Re’s CR portal and other publications.

Strategy, organisation and reporting profile
GRI No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
1.0 Strategy and analysis
1.1 Statement from the most senior decision-maker of the organisation (e.g., CEO, chair, or equivalent senior position) about the relevance of sustainability to the organisation and its strategy

For nearly five years now, we have been operating in a crisis-ridden environment. The year 2011 was marked by a massive loss of confidence in the European common currency, with corresponding impacts on the capital markets. On top of this, the insurance industry had to cope with an exceptional accumulation of severe natural catastrophes in 2011, most notably the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. Despite these adverse circumstances, Munich Re was able to post a satisfactory result for the year, thus endorsing our strategy geared to creating sustainable value.

The bulk of our investments meet the requirements of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which Munich Re was the first German company to sign back in 2006. Until recently, a comparable set of rules was lacking for our core business of primary insurance and reinsurance. International principles have therefore been drawn up to fill the gap, again under the umbrella of the United Nations. Munich Re was a driving force in this process, on which it had a material influence. On 19 June 2012, we put our signature to the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) as one of the founding members. The PSI will serve as a yardstick for the systematic integration of sustainability aspects in our day-to-day business.

We are continuing to pursue our other activities in the field of corporate responsibility with undiminished vigour. For example, we have made significant progress with our environmental management system and will achieve carbon neutrality for our global reinsurance operations in the current financial year. We aim to reach this target for the whole Group by 2015 – our headquarters in Munich have been carbon-neutral since 2009.

By corporate citizenship, we understand donations, sponsoring and memberships in the charitable and non-profit sector. We have reformulated our guidelines for this area, making them more specific. Thus, support for social and cultural activities will be focused more strongly on our business unit locations in future, while at national and international level we will particularly sponsor projects that have a concrete connection with our business.

Different backgrounds and experience result in different individual skills and strengths. With our staff, we therefore attach importance to a balanced structure as far as possible, be it in terms of gender, origin or age, to name just the most important criteria for us in this respect. In the long term, forward-looking staff development planning – and that is basically what "diversity management" entails – will increase our creativity, competitiveness and sustainability, which makes it an indispensable investment.
CR portal Full
1.2 Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities

In our core business, too, we are accepting global challenges ranging from climate change to demographic trends, to combating poverty in developing countries. As an insurance company, we can help to deal with these challenges primarily by identifying, assessing and pointing out the associated risks early on, and then offering innovative insurance solutions for them wherever possible.
CR portalGroup annual report 2011
“Business environment, General parameters”: p. 67 ff.
“Risk report, Risk governance and risk management system”: p. 120 ff.
Full
2.0 Organisational profile
2.1 Name of the organisation

Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München
  Full
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services

The combination of primary insurance and reinsurance under one roof realises synergies and diversification effects along the whole value chain. This is achieved by our three business fields – primary insurance, reinsurance and Munich Health as the third pillar for the challenges of the global healthcare market – as well as by our asset manager MEAG.

The Group’s reinsurance products include life and health reinsurance, as well as property and casualty reinsurance, which is made up of liability, personal accident, motor, marine, aviation and space, fire, engineering, credit and bonding, and other classes of reinsurance business. Its primary insurance products comprise life and health, property-casualty, travel, and legal expenses insurance, as well as fund products and bank products, consultancy and other services.
Group annual report 2011
“Diversified structure – Diversified risk”: Cover page 2;
“Munich Re, Structure, Group structure”: pp. 52-57 Corporate website (Strategy) Corporate website (Portrait)
Full
2.3 Operational structure of the organisation, including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures

Munich Re is one of the world’s leading risk carriers. Our integrated business model rests on three pillars: reinsurance, primary insurance and Munich Health.


Reinsurance business is organised in six divisions (Life; Europe and Latin America; Germany, Asia Pacific and Africa; Special and Financial Risks; Global Clients and North America) and Munich Health.

Primary insurance business in Germany is divided into the segments life, health and property-casualty. This is supplemented by international business.

MEAG manages Munich Re’s assets and offers investment products for private clients and institutional investors.

Group annual report 2011
“Munich Re, Structure, Group structure”: pp. 52-57;
“List of shareholdings…”: pp. 277-287
Full
2.4 Location of organisation's headquarters

Munich, Germany
  Full
2.5 Number of countries where the organisation operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report

Munich Re (reinsurance) operates worldwide and is represented in Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Latin America and North America.


The ERGO Insurance Group (primary insurance) is represented in over 30 countries, with the focus on Europe and Asia. Its most important European markets besides Germany are the Baltic States, Italy, Poland and Turkey.

Munich Health has 26 locations throughout the world, servicing clients in over 40 countries. Munich Health’s decentralised organisation is managed from four regional hubs in Abu Dhabi, Princeton, Singapore and Munich.

MEAG invests at the international capital markets. Besides its headquarter in Germany MEAG operates also in New York and Hong Kong.

Group annual report 2011
“Munich Re’s global presence”: cover 4 Websites
Full
2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form

Munich Reinsurance Company is a joint-stock company (Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft in München).
Group annual report 2011
“Munich Re shares”: p. 10 ff Website (Shareholder profile)
Full
2.7 Markets served

Munich Re engages in insurance and reinsurance businesses worldwide. It also provides asset management services. Munich Re serves institutional investors, small and medium-sized businesses and private clients. The company offers its services through its branches and subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Poland, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and internationally.
Group annual report 2011
“Munich Re’s global presence”: cover 4
Full
2.8 Scale of the reporting organisation

On 31 December 2011, the number of staff employed by Munich Re (Group) was 47,206.

Consolidated result: €712m

Analysis of our capital structure: Munich Re’s capital structure is essentially governed by its activity as an insurer and reinsurer. Investments on the assets side of the balance sheet serve mainly to cover technical provisions (75.4% of the balance sheet total). Equity (9.4% of the balance sheet total) and bonds classified as strategic debt (2.0% of the balance sheet total) are the most important sources of funds.

Number of products and services offered: Munich Re is one of the world’s leading risk carriers. The Group’s business operations cover the whole value chain of insurance and reinsurance. Munich Re is also active in the field of asset management.
Group annual report 2011
“Business performance”: p. 72 ff.
“Financial position”: p. 103 ff.
“Consolidated financial statements”: p. 149 ff.
Full
2.9 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, or ownership

Munich Re successfully concluded the acquisition of the US Medicare provider Windsor Health Group Inc., thus strengthening Munich Health’s position in the US healthcare market.
Group annual report 2011
“Munich Re, Structure, Group structure”: p. 52 ff.
Full
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period

Munich Re won a range of awards in 2011, e.g. first place in Newsweek’s Green Ranking. For further information, please refer to » SRI indices, ratings and awards, which provides a selection of the awards and prizes conferred on Munich Re in the reporting period.
CR portal Full
3.0 Report parameters
3.1 Reporting period for information provided

On its corporate responsibility (CR) portal, Munich Re mainly presents the CR-specific measures taken and successes achieved in the reporting period 1 January to 31 December 2011. The editorial deadline was 1 May 2012. Measures taken up to that date in 2012 in a number of units have been included in the portal. On the homepage of the CR portal, Munich Re also reports regularly on the latest significant developments in the area of corporate responsibility.
Unless otherwise specified, the quantitative data on the portal relate to the period 1 January to 31 December 2011.
CR portal Full
3.2 Date of most recent previous report

The last CR report was published on the CR portal in July 2012.
  Full
3.3 Reporting cycle

Annual
  Full
3.4 Contact point for questions regarding the report and its contents

Georg Schwarz » responsibility@munichre.com
CR portal Full
3.5 Process for defining report content

Munich Re cultivates ongoing, open and constructive communication with its stakeholders. Munich Re’s main stakeholders are its shareholders, staff, clients, analysts, rating agencies, the media/press, scientists, non-governmental organisations, politicians, trade unions, initiatives/associations, interested members of the public and society at large.

Our stakeholders’ main expectations are the basis for the topics chosen for the CR portal. Our stakeholders’ core concerns are ascertained by means of regular dialogue and through studies as well as surveys. Our materiality process materiality process for this year was conducted with a defined small stakeholder group.
CR portal Full
3.6 Boundary of the report (e.g. countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased facilities, joint ventures, suppliers)

The CR portal covers the Munich Re (Group) as a whole.
CR portal Full
3.7 State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report

The CR portal addresses the most important and relevant activities in the field of Munich Re’s corporate responsibility.
CR portal Full
3.8 The basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organisations

In accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the information on the CR portal covers all companies in which Munich Re has a controlling interest. The key figures relating to Munich Re’s employees were increased for human resources up to approximately 62% and the environmental sector up to 87%. All other information presented in the key figures refers to the Group as a whole.
CR portal Full
3.9 Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the indicators and other information in the report

In 2009, Munich Re decided to expand its environmental data base and collect data and information relevant to CR Group-wide using a special CR software solution. In 2012, the emission factors were updated in line with the new Greenhouse Gas Protocol, so that all environmental figures were recalculated. The indicators selected are geared to the international guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and include the sector supplement for financial service providers, the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and the key performance indicators defined by us. Our software has increased the proportion of (Group) staff covered from around 62% to 87%. To derive the environmental data for the Group as a whole, all data were extrapolated to 100% of staff. The staff coverage for human resources relates to approximately 62%.
CR portal Full
3.10 Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such re-statement (e.g. mergers/ acquisitions, change of base years/periods, nature of business, measurement methods)

We generally report on the past three years in order to show the development of performance indicators. Environmental footprint figures and HR-related figures we report in 2012 may differ from figures reported in 2011 for the reporting period 2010. This is due to the implementation of a new database (SoFi) in 2010, the elimination of errors in last year’s figures and improved data quality, as well as to changes in emission factors resulting from the GHG protocol.
CR portal Full
3.11 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report

In the case of the CR data, the information gathered in the Group has been expanded compared with previous years. Thus we have collected data for more employees than in previous years. At present, we record data at our main sites and use current international standards for calculating our environmental data, e.g. the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and GRI. We cover approximately 87% of Group employees here as well, although EMS data coverage is lower (~55%) and still has to be continuously increased.
  Full
3.12 Table identifying the location of the standard disclosures

The following table provides information on the indicators reported on.
  Full
3.13 Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report

Transparent reporting is based on valid, plausible data. Our Group-wide software system SoFi encompasses all CR-relevant Group data, which are collected in a defined process. A dedicated network of data providers has been set up for this purpose. We are continuously expanding the system's degree of coverage. As a first step, we have had our environmental management system certified (according to ISO 14001) at a number of sites and increased the proportion of employees captured by the indicator. In addition, environmental data have been validated by an external auditor for Munich Re Munich and DKV Seguros.
  Not reported
Governance, commitments and engagement
GRI-No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
4.0 Governance, commitments and engagement
4.1 Governance

Munich Reinsurance Company is a joint-stock company (“Aktiengesellschaft”) under the German Stock Companies Act. It has three governing bodies: the Board of Management, the Supervisory Board and the Annual General Meeting. Their functions and powers derive from the relevant legal provisions, the co-determination agreement and the Articles of Association, which are published on Munich Re's website.
Group annual report 2011
“Corporate governance report and corporate governance statement”: pp. 27–32 Corporate website (Articles of Association)
Full
4.2 Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer

Dr. Hans-Jürgen Schinzler, the Chairman of Munich Re’s Supervisory Board, is not the Chairman of Munich Re’s Board of Management.
Group annual report 2011
“Governing bodies of Munich Re”: pp. 63–66
Full
4.3 For organisations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members

This is not relevant since Munich Re has a Supervisory Board and a Board of Management. According to the given G3 definition, this indicator is only material for organisations without a supervisory board.
  Does not exist
4.4 Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body

Munich Re offers institutional investors, private investors and employees a range of opportunities for input in the decisions taken. These include annual general meetings, a shareholder hotline, a suggestion scheme and blogs. Munich Re was one of the first of DAX 30 companies to offer its shareholders a postal vote for the annual general meeting and the possibility to participate in the meeting via livestream. Shareholders are thus able to benefit from recent German legislation and vote on items of the agenda at the annual general meeting without necessarily being present.
Website (Investor & Rating Agency Relations) Full
4.5 Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives, and the organisation’s performance

The remuneration systems of all governing bodies and executive managers are strongly geared to Munich Re’s long-term value creation and contain a fixed and a variable component. The individual three-year objectives (2012–2014) are partially linked to environmental, social or governance metrics and targets. This makes up about 3% of the total remuneration. Readers are referred to our detailed remuneration report for further information on Munich Re’s remuneration systems.
Group annual report 2011
“Remuneration report”: p. 32 ff.
Full
4.6 Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided

A dual management system is prescribed by law for German joint-stock companies. It is this division into strategic and operative management on the one hand and monitoring, control and consulting on the other that provides for independent supervision of the Board of Management by the Supervisory Board. In addition, the number of independent members of the Supervisory Board is always as high as possible. Munich Re also follows the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code. Members of the Supervisory Board inform the Supervisory Board without delay of emerging conflicts of interest. No member of the Supervisory Board is a member of a governing body of one of Munich Re’s main competitors. The Board of Management is also obliged to adhere to strict rules for addressing conflicts of interest (for instance, in order to avoid such conflicts and for the purpose of creating transparency).
Corporate website (Code of Conduct) CR portal Full
4.7 Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the highest governance body for guiding the organisation's strategy on economic, environmental, and social topics

The Supervisory Board’s Nomination Committee is responsible for finding suitable candidates for the Supervisory Board to propose to the Annual General Meeting for election. The basis for the Nomination Committee’s work is a detailed catalogue of criteria formulating the technical and personal standards that candidates must fulfil. The indispensable personal criteria include a commitment to Munich Re’s aim of a long-term and sustained increase in value. The Supervisory Board’s Personnel Committee has comparable criteria. It prepares the appointment of members of the Board of Management and, together with the Board of Management, concerns itself with long-term succession planning. The unit of corporate responsibility is part of Munich Re’s group development and is therefore overseen by the CEO.
Group annual report 2011
“Board of Management”: p. 27 ff.
Full
4.8 Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social performance and the status of their implementation

It is an integral part of Munich Re's business model as a global insurance group to adopt a forward-looking and responsible approach throughout our organisation. In 2011, we further strengthened our CR approach when the Board of Management approved a Group-wide CR strategy.
This contains a new CR mission statement valid Group-wide: CR is an integral part of our corporate strategy and relevant for all business areas and operations. The mission statement rests on the three pillars (1) CR in business, (2) the environmental management system and (3) corporate citizenship.


The Munich Re Code of Conduct sets out what we understand by legally impeccable behaviour, based on ethical principles, specifying high-level ethical and legal requirements that must be met by every employee, as well as our shared responsibility towards the public, our business partners and ourselves. It serves as the basis for specific » codes of conduct within the Group (e.g. ERGO) and it contains regulations that are binding on all Munich Re employees including the management. Each of these codes is a basis for the observance of further » compliance rules within all Munich Re units. Environmental protection is also part of the codes of conduct. Besides this, a special code of conduct for the sales agents of ERGO was implemented in the course of 2011 as part of their employment contract. Brokers in reinsurance will also have their own code of conduct by 2012.

Our codes of conduct cover the entire reinsurance group (as well as Munich Health) and about 98% of ERGO employees.

Beyond this, the Munich Re Group acts in accordance with the ten principles laid down in the United Nations » Global Compact, of which we became a signatory in September 2007. Furthermore, we were the first signatory of the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) and signed the Principles for Sustainable Insurance in July 2012.

Corporate website (Code of Conduct) ERGO website (Code of Conduct) CR portal Full
4.9 Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organisation’s identification and management of economic, environmental, and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct, and principles

In 2008, we assigned the field of corporate responsibility to a separate unit at our Munich headquarters. This unit is incorporated in the Group Development Division, which is responsible for developing and implementing Group CR strategy and reports directly to the Chairman of the Munich Re Board of Management. Since 2011, an annual evaluation report on corporate responsibility has been submitted to the Board of Management.


The Board of Management requires reports on sustained value creation from various other units, e.g. from Integrated Risk Management (whose responsibilities include emerging risks) or the new established Emerging Risks Think Tank. Reputational risks are monitored by various internal units and are reported to the Compliance Officer and, if necessary, to the Reputational Risk Committee (RRC). The RRC consists of experts from various units and is headed by the Compliance Officer. The Supervisory Board monitors Munich Re’s management, with particular focus on long-term increase in corporate value.

Group annual report 2011
“Report of the Supervisory Board”: pp. 21–25 CR portal
Full
4.10 Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance

The Supervisory Board monitors Munich Re’s management and the long-term increase in corporate value. Our remuneration system is strongly geared to sustained increase in value, and the amount of remuneration paid to each Board member reflects their performance in achieving this.
Group annual report 2011
“Board of Management”: p. 27 ff.
Full
4.11
(7)
Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organisation

Munich Re’s commitment to the precautionary principle is reflected in its sophisticated risk management. The development of its risk strategy is embedded in the annual planning cycle, and hence in our business strategy. The risk strategy is approved by the Board of Management and discussed regularly with the Supervisory Board. Furthermore, our internal control system (ICS) is a uniform worldwide system for managing operational risks integrated across all risk dimensions and areas of the Group. It both meets Group management needs and complies with local regulations.
Group annual report 2011
“Risk report”: p. 120 ff. CR portalWebsite (Risik management)
Full
4.12 Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organisation subscribes or endorses

We are convinced that our business concept can only be successfully realised in the future through sustainable and responsible action. To make our understanding of the relevant values clear inside and outside our Group, Munich Re joined the United Nations Global Compact in August 2007. The ten Global Compact principles offer us important action guidelines for anchoring corporate responsibility even more firmly in the processes relating to our core business. As a signatory to the German Charter of Diversity (Charta der Vielfalt), Munich Re also endeavours to set an example in fairness and mutual respect within companies.


In April 2006, Munich Re became the first German company to sign the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which we played a prominent role in helping to establish. As a leading member of the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) Working Group, we have been actively promoting and supporting the efforts to establish a common framework of principles for the insurance industry, which we duly signed in June 2012.

The following are specific examples of some of the initiatives and partnerships we have launched or supported financially and/or contributed content to: Desertec Industrial Initiative, Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII), the Global Earthquake Model.

In addition, Munich Re's companies have made national commitments.

CR portal Full
4.13 Memberships in associations and/or national/international advocacy organisations

Munich Re is member in and actively contributes to numerous associations, interest groups and organisations. These include the German Insurance Association (GDV), the German Insurance Employers’ Association, UNEP FI Insurance Commission and Climate Working Group, PRI Principles for Responsible Investment, PSI Principles for Sustainable Insurance, Global Earthquake Model (GEM), World Economic Forum Geneva, Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (innovation agency of the German business community for the promotion of science and learning), Global Climate Forum, International Insurance Society, German Industry Union (BDI), Carbon Disclosure Project, European Insurance CFO Forum, European Severe Storms Laboratory (ESSL), Institute for Economic Research of the University of Munich and the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII).
CR portal Full
4.14 List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organisation

The main Munich Re stakeholder groups are shareholders, staff, clients (including brokers), analysts, investors, rating agencies, media/press, scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), representatives from politics and administration, trade unions and interested members of the public.
CR portal Full
4.15 Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage

Munich Re has always placed great emphasis on transparency and dialogue with its stakeholders. These mainly include our insurance and reinsurance clients, the media and general public, our employees, and capital market players, as well as NGOs, political entities and trade unions. Identification and selection of stakeholders are the responsibility of different departments: Investor Relations (investors and analysts, rating agencies); Group Development – Corporate Responsibility (society, SRI contacts); Group Communications (NGOs, press relations, media); Human Resources (employees); business units (customers).
CR portal Full
4.16 Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group

Communication with our stakeholders – at local, national and international level – is our basis for responsible action. Our stakeholders’ suggestions and comments constitute valuable input for Munich Re. We are committed to creating added value for both sides with our dialogue-based approach.

Responsibility for stakeholder engagement is therefore decentralised, ensuring frequent in-depth-engagement: Investor Relations (investors and analysts, rating agencies); Group Development – Corporate Responsibility (society, SRI contacts, academia); Group Communications (NGOs, media relations); Human Resources (employees, universities); business units (customers).


Our corporate strategy aimed at a sustained increase in value is accompanied by ongoing and open communication with all capital market participants, focusing on our investors and shareholders, both current and future.

One example: The main task of Investor Relations at Munich Re is to specifically approach investors, cultivating contact with existing shareholders and gaining new ones. At the same time, we ensure that due account is taken of our investors’ opinions in internal discussion and decision-making processes. We have again achieved good results in insurance-sector rankings for the quality of investor relations management, winning recognition for the consistency and transparency of our reporting. All the presentations we use in our meetings with analysts and investors and in our conferences and road-shows are published on the internet, and we are happy to send these to interested shareholders on request. Many of our events are transmitted live via web-streaming.

CR portal Full
4.17 Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organisation has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through reporting

The different expectations and needs of the stakeholder groups are ascertained by means of ongoing direct dialogue and through studies and surveys/questionnaires. For instance, client surveys are carried out regularly and their results critically reviewed. One of our stakeholders’ prime concerns is the need for transparency, which Munich Re addresses through various communication measures. A specific example is the topic of climate change, which is dealt with on our website and in various publications (e.g. Key focus: Climate change).
CR portal Full
Economic performance indicators
GRI No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
EC
(1, 4, 6, 7)
Management approach

Turning risk in a sustainable way into value – that is what Munich Re has been doing successfully for more than 130 years. As an integrated insurance and reinsurance group, Munich Re adopts an international and interdisciplinary approach with a view to finding solutions that are viable for the future.


Analysing and carrying complex risks requires expertise in many disciplines.

The year 2011 was dominated by the worsening of the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone, the debate about the creditworthiness of the USA , and the natural and nuclear disaster in Japan.

Group annual report 2011
“Our strategy”: p. 15 ff.
Full
EC1 Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments

Summary of the figures for the financial year 2011

The Group recorded a good operating result of €1,180m (2010: 3,978m). Our return on risk-adjusted capital (RORAC) totalled 3.2% for the 2011 financial year, compared with 13.5% in the previous year. The figure was thus far below our long-term target of 15%, mainly due to very high major-loss expenditure and significant write-downs of investments. Because the deterioration in the result was attributable to the difficult environment rather than a sustained impairment of our profitability, we maintained our dividend unchanged at €6.25 per share. Our profit distribution thus remained at a high level. Positively influencing the development of Group equity, retained earnings amounted to €11,588m (2010: €10,735m).

Personnel expenses

The following personnel expenses are included in the operating expenses, in the expenses for claims and benefits (for claims adjustment) and in the investment result (please see Group annual report, page 268):
Breakdown of personnel expenses in 2011
Wages and salaries: €2,532m
Social security contributions and employee assistance: €457m
Expenses for employees' pensions: €214m
Total: €3,203m

Donations and social investment

Corporate Citizenship funding: € 6,710,681

Therein included are political contributions/donations and the project funding of our three company foundations.
In 2011, Munich Re donated the sum of € 170,342 to the five main German political parties, including donations to their relevant political organisations. From 2011 on, political donations have been evenly and transparently distributed across all non-extreme parties, so that these form part of our corporate citizenship.

The projects and activities of Munich Re's three foundations (Munich Re Foundation, Dr. Hans Jürgen Schinzler Foundation, and the ERGO Foundation "Youth&Future") show how we can provide active support and deliver effective solutions for global, social and scientific challenges.
Project funding of the three foundations: € 1,679,628

Group annual report 2011
“Key figures (IFRS)”: cover page 2;
“Business performance”: p. 72 ff.;
“Notes to the consolidated income statement”: p. 238 ff.
Full
EC2
(7)
Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organisation’s activities due to climate change

Munich Re's core business is to cover risks, including climate change risks. Since climate change modifies the probable distribution of weather-related losses, it can directly affect our business.


As a global risk carrier, we therefore have to factor the risk changes into our underwriting, and have our own team of geo risks experts that constantly updates our knowledge of the direct impacts of climate change. We have set up climate-change early-warning systems and teams to monitor signs of any effects the phenomenon may be having on society, the environment, the economy and our political and legal systems. This enables us to deliver the right solutions for clients, even in the face of climate change. Munich Re aims to address global warming proactively and exploit the opportunities that climate protection offers.

To address the physical effects of climate change on our clients, we are developing insurance covers or other risk solutions. This is part of our usual business activities, and hence does not impose additional costs. On the other hand, climate change and its related implications will lead to a general increase in demand for insurance solutions and consultancy services. This will result in new business potential for Munich Re. Our insurance products are customer-tailored and differ widely according to the client’s needs and the specific risk. Climate change is part of risk assessment and cannot be isolated from the overall product and pricing. We are unable to make any quantitative assessments at this point in time.

CR portalGroup annual report 2011
“Climate change”: p. 137 ff. Website (Climate change)
Full
EC3 Coverage of the organisation's defined benefit plan obligations

Munich Re companies generally give commitments to their staff in the form of defined contribution plans or defined benefit plans. The type and amount of the pension obligations are determined by the conditions of the respective pension plan. In general, they are based on the staff member's length of service and salary. Company pensions are a central component of our human resources policy.
Group annual report 2011
“Other accrued liabilities”: p. 183 f.
Full
EC4 Significant financial assistance received from government

None
  Full
EC5
(1)
Range of ratios of standard entry level wage compared to local minimum wage at significant locations of operation

As the majority of staff in the financial services industry are highly skilled, minimum wages are practically immaterial. Munich Re salaries are substantially above the local minimum wage levels. In general, Munich Re pays wages that are higher than the local minimum wages (where they exist). In 2011, it paid € 2,532m in salaries and wages (excluding social security, pension benefits).
  Full
EC6 Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers at significant locations of operation

As our core business has separate business lines (reinsurance and primary insurance), we also have two units in charge of handling our procurement processes. Both of them have Group-wide responsibility for their business line and they work closely together in order to exchange know-how and exploit synergies. Activities are based on the same principles, but with local freedom of application. Throughout the Group, adherence to the highest ethical and environmental standards is axiomatic and is clearly stipulated in our Code of Conduct.

Reinsurance
Munich Re (Munich) established its Central Procurement (CP) Division in 2008 with the intention of implementing a global procurement network and formalising Group-wide policies for the reinsurance group. CP is responsible for preparing, updating and ensuring compliance with all purchasing rules, guidelines and processes across the Munich Re reinsurance group. An internal guideline stipulates the inclusion of a corporate responsibility clause in all new or renegotiated contracts. This clause requires our business partners to comply with UN Global Compact principles. We see it as our duty to extend this commitment to our suppliers and appeal to them to observe these principles and standards, which are as follows:

1. Complying with the relevant laws
2. Adhering to the basic principles of human rights, labour law, environmental protection and anti-corruption
2.1 Protecting human rights
2.2 Complying with labour standards
2.3 Contributing to environmental protection
2.4 Stopping corruption
3. Applying these principles to the supply chain

The corporate responsibility clause is currently only applicable at our Munich headquarters, covering approx. 90% of overall spending, but will be implemented further through a graduated scheme.

Primary insurance
The ERGO Purchasing Guideline for Work and Services is mandatory for all supplier relationships. Among other important aspects, it outlines that for a formal tender, a self-disclosure by the provider is mandatory before it becomes a supplier. Furthermore a detailed supplier self-disclosure (including various questions related to environmental aspects and environmental certificates) is required for a purchasing volume of €1m or more.
  Full
EC7
(6)
Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the local community at locations of significant operation

Munich Re complies with the applicable local laws and regulations and has specific procedures for hiring from local communities. The same procedures apply for all hiring sources, but specific workforce situations may determine individual hiring processes. Our staff are recruited primarily on the local labour market unless a shortage of people with appropriate skills obliges us to look elsewhere – nationwide or on an international level. Our senior executives are selected on the basis of their experience and knowledge of the specific market and most are therefore recruited locally. Beyond this, most members of our Board of Management started their career within Munich Re. Jobs in our international organisation are advertised on our global intranet and we operate a talent development programme under which specialist and management staff at all levels are temporarily seconded to Munich Re offices in other countries.
CR portal Full
EC8 Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in kind, or pro bono engagement.

As an internationally operating group, Munich Re accepts its responsibility towards the communities in which we live and work, investing in projects that have a positive impact on the infrastructure and therefore serve the public interest.


Structural or economic change processes, such as those resulting from climate change, new legislation, more complex supply chains or outsourcing, offer new opportunities. For instance, our reinsurance activities support the development of new energy infrastructure projects. We provide innovative performance guarantee covers for photovoltaic modules that offer manufacturers better security, and provide more financing choices for their customers, such as solar parks.

In close collaboration with important players (e.g. MFIs, NGOs), Munich Re is also active in the microinsurance segment. We analyse selected markets and develop insurance solutions that meet commercial requirements by simultaneously helping the disadvantaged to achieve access to adequate financial solutions. Examples are described on the CR portal as well as in the Executive Summary.

In general we apply two approaches:
1. Public-private partnerships (PPP), e.g. CLIMBS
2. Microinsurance, e.g. HDFC ERGO

The Dr. Hans-Jürgen Schinzler Foundation and the Munich Re Foundation are actively engaged in pro bono and community investments.

CR portal Full
EC9 Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts

We use our knowledge to come up with solutions that meet the needs both of our clients and of society and its financial structures, since insurance only works if the risks – including indirect economic impact – can be calculated.


Renewable energies: The principal risk drivers for investments in renewable energies are technology and geographical factors. Assessing these risk drivers is the daily business of our insurance experts. One of the key objectives of the RENT (Renewable Energies and New Technologies) initiative is therefore to use this know-how as a basis for investment decisions. As part of this investment programme, MEAG is investing in German power grids and solar plants in Italy and Spain. By the end of 2011, around €500m of the €2.5bn target had been invested in this way.

Climate change: Munich Re is a financial and insurance sector leader in the field of climate-change analysis. We are continuing to enhance the competence we have built up over the years, for instance by introducing measures and solutions mitigating the impacts of climate change and developing new coverages facilitating climate change adaptation. At the same time, we are taking steps to avoid greenhouse gas emissions in our own business operations, one of our major objectives being to achieve carbon neutrality in our reinsurance operations worldwide by 2012 and at Group level by 2015.

For more information, please see the following link » challenges in detail: climate change, globalised financial markets, demographic change, access to financial solutions.

CR portal Full
Environmental performance indicators
GRI-No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
EN
(7–9)
Management approach

Preserving our natural resources is part of corporate responsibility management, as our economic success is inseparably linked with protecting people, the environment, and physical resources. We aim to reduce as far as possible the environmental impact arising from our business operations as well as to sensitise our staff to the relevant issues.


Besides complying with statutory provisions and the principles of the UN Global Compact, we also need to pay particular attention to consistently avoiding waste and emissions, as well as to reducing our energy, paper and water consumption. We are seeking to achieve our goals in accordance with the highest technical standards wherever economically feasible.

Munich Re (Reinsurance) in Munich, ERGO in Germany, D.A.S. in the UK and DKV Seguros in Spain have applied a systematic approach to keeping our impact on the environment to an absolute minimum by implementing environmental management systems certified to ISO 14001 at several sites.

Munich Re’s new corporate responsibility database increases our (Group) staff coverage of general data from approximately 62% to 87%. To derive the environmental data for the Group as a whole, all data have been extrapolated to 100% of staff. Greenhouse gas emissions have been determined on the basis of the Greenhouse Gas Emission Protocol (GHG). Emission factors were updated this year according to new requirements of the GHG – therefore, all figures have been recalculated.

In keeping with the carbon neutral strategy we adopted in 2007, our offices in Munich became carbon-neutral in 2009. The international reinsurance group as a whole is set to follow suit in 2012, that is to say, greenhouse gas emissions caused by our business operations will be reduced to a minimum and unavoidable emissions compensated for by means of emission certificates. Through our new mission statement (approved by our Board of Management in 2011), we acknowledge the importance of environmental protection and describe/specify our goal. This serves as our basic understanding and is included in a Group-wide climate neutrality strategy approved by the Board of Management in 2011.

Our Group-wide strategy and target is for the whole Munich Re Group to reduce CO2e emissions by 10% per employee by 2015 (by means of our EMS and on the baseline of 2009 emissions) and furthermore to become carbon-neutral.

CR portal Full
EN1
(8)
Materials used by weight or volume

We consumed 2,057 tonnes of paper in 2011.
CR portal Full
EN2
(8, 9)
Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials

58% of paper consumed in 2011 was recycled.
  Full
EN3
(8)
Direct energy consumption by primary source

We consumed 1,146,028 gigajoules of direct energy in 2011 (mainly heating oil, gas, and diesel for back-up generators), including 322 gigajoules from renewable energy sources.
CR portal Partial
EN4
(8)
Indirect energy consumption by primary source

We consumed 1,054,930 gigajoules of indirect energy in 2011 (mainly electricity and district heating), including 300,061 gigajoules from renewable energy sources.
CR portal Partial
EN5
(8, 9)
Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements

Munich Re Group companies resolutely strive to conserve resources and consume less energy, and this is illustrated by the following two examples:


At Munich Reinsurance America, a 2.5-MW solar power system was built on a carport structure providing shade for the facility’s parking lot and reducing annual electricity costs by almost $500,000.

Additionally, Munich Re also considers green building standards in its real estate management: e.g. Maria-Josepha-Strasse, Munich; 2010. The GreenBuilding certification confirms that a building undercuts the 2007 German Energy Saving Ordinance limit by more than 25% and is awarded to the owners of commercial buildings whose energy-saving designs promote sustainable construction.

CR portal Partial
EN6
(8, 9)
Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives

Our innovative insurance solutions provide opportunities for our clients to make sustainable investments. We are firmly committed to finding innovative coverage concepts for new and complex risks as well as integrated solutions.


Offshore wind parks, solar and geothermal installations and energy-efficiency technologies are possible only if the risks are insured, which is why we keep a close watch on the ever-changing and increasingly complex factors involved. Geothermal power, for example, is a very promising form of renewable energy for a sustainable energy supply. Uncertainty about the success of drilling operations, and therefore their financing, poses problems for investors in geothermal power plants. Munich Re offers productivity risk insurance, thereby making such projects possible.

In 2009, our reinsurance group and MEAG set up the RENT (Renewable Energies and New Technologies) project. Since then, experts from the reinsurance group and MEAG have been sounding out the potential for strategic investment in renewable energy and new technologies, the main focus being on non-fossil power generation. Total investment under RENT within the next ten years is projected at up to €2.5bn.

Munich Re clients seeking sustainable investment options can also choose from insurance and investment funds.

CR portal Full
EN7
(8, 9)
Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved

Munich Re is striving to reduce indirect energy consumption by, for example, replacing business trips with telephone and videoconferences where possible.

At Munich Reinsurance Company, there is a guideline for car purchase for all company cars in order to focus on climate-friendly vehicles. ERGO informs and sensitises employees via information on eco-efficient driving, and a pilot for an "eco driving course", where drivers learn how to reduce a vehicle’s fuel consumption, has been launched. Besides this, there are plans at ERGO for an increased integration of environmental issues in training events and projects for staff to raise awareness and motivation of employees (e.g. alternatives to business travel “Dienst statt Reisen” or with “Bike to Work”, hints and links on the ERGO intranet, online training tools, and ERGO carpooling). It is difficult to quantify the reduction of indirect energy consumption for the implemented measures listed.
CR portal Partial
EN8
(8)
Total water withdrawal by source

Total water withdrawal at Group-level by source: 907,125 m³ (extrapolated to the employees of the Group, therefore the following figures do not add up to this amount)
Rain water: 148 m³
Tap water: 514,615m³
CR portal Full
EN9
(8)
Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water

Munich Re companies only use local suppliers.
  Full
EN10
(8, 9)
Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused

This indicator is of limited relevance for companies in the insurance sector, since most of their operations are office-based. Therefore no water is recycled nor reused at our sites.
Toilets at our offices in Munich are flushed with rainwater.
  Not material
EN11
(8)
Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

As a financial services provider, Munich Re only has a small environmental footprint compared with that of manufacturing companies. We are nevertheless constantly working to reduce our emissions and consumption of resources.
  Not relevant
EN12
(8)
Description of significant impacts of activities, products, and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas

In our guiding principles for corporate responsibility and our Code of Conduct, we undertake to help protect our natural environment.


In our product policy, for instance, we consider climate and other environmental impacts with a view to increasing awareness and influencing behaviour. The biodiversity link arises specifically in connection with liability insurance. Munich Re is working on new covers for biodiversity risks and this will also, for example, have the effect of triggering prevention measures.

Download Not relevant
EN13
(8)
Habitats protected or restored

No data are available for this indicator due to its limited relevance for companies in the insurance sector.
  Not relevant
EN14
(8)
Strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity

Munich Re does not have Group-wide strategies in this respect.
  Not relevant
EN15
(8)
Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk

No data are available for this indicator due to its limited relevance for companies in the insurance sector.
  Not relevant
EN16
(8)
Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight

Our total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions came to 166,472,648 kg CO2e (primary energy consumption, electricity, district heating and company cars/vehicle fleet) in 2011.
CR portal Full
EN17
(8)
Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight

Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions totalled 59,185,493 kg CO2e (from paper and water consumption, waste, travel) in 2011.
CR portal Full
EN18
(7–9)
Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved

Our Group-wide environmental activities are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and we adopted a carbon-neutrality strategy for our reinsurance group in 2007. In 2011, this was expanded to the whole Group, which is to become carbon-neutral by 2015.
Munich Re (reinsurance) in Munich has been carbon-neutral since 2009, all our international reinsurance operations are set to follow suit by 2012, and the whole Group by 2015 with a reduction of 10% in our emissions globally. To this end, we are pursuing a twofold strategy:
  1. To increase energy efficiency and to purchase green electricity rather than a conventional energy mix.
  2. To make up for inevitable emissions through the purchase and/or retirement of emission credits.
CR portal Full
EN19
(8)
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight

Use of ozone-depleting substances is not a major issue for us. Although they may be present in our air-conditioning, we have closed-circuit systems, and maintenance work is subject to the requisite precautions, preventing the release of such substances into the atmosphere. Consequently, no Group-wide data records are available. Our Group-wide environmental activities are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (and above all carbon dioxide).
  Not relevant
EN20
(8)
NO, SO, and other significant air emissions by type and weight

Our environmental management system controls, and emission-reduction programmes concentrate on greenhouse gases. Munich Re operates solely as a service provider, and does not release significant NO, SO, or other significant air emissions.
  Not relevant
EN21
(8)
Total water discharge by quality and destination

This is not material to an office-based financial service provider. Therefore no Group-wide data records are available. Apart from a small quantity used to irrigate the grounds, all the water is used for drinking, cooking, cleaning or sanitation, and is discharged into sewers. Munich Re therefore estimates its total water discharge to be no more than its total water consumption.
  Full
EN22
(8)
Total weight of waste by type and disposal method

We produced 14,329 tonnes of waste in 2010. The breakdown by type and disposal method is as follows:

Total weight of waste 14,329.13 t(metric)
Recycled (valuable) materials 3,893 t(metric)
Hazardous 15 t(metric)
Non-hazardous 3,878 t(metric)
Waste incinerated 1,625 t(metric)
Hazardous 0.3 t(metric)
Non-hazardous 1,624 t(metric)
Waste to landfill 426 t(metric)
Hazardous 0 t(metric)
Non-hazardous 426 t(metric)
Special waste treatment 116 t(metric)
Hazardous 13 t(metric)
Non-hazardous 102 t(metric)
Other waste, not specified 98 t(metric)
Organic waste 792 t(metric)
CR portal Full
EN23
(8)
Total number and volume of significant spills

There were no significant spills of hazardous materials during the reporting period. Our activity as a financial services provider entails very little contact with hazardous materials and significant spills are thus unlikely.
  Full
EN24
(8)
Weight of transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally

Munich Re works with certified waste disposal entities which guarantee the correct transfer and processing of waste.
  Not relevant
EN25
(8)
Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organisation’s discharges of water and runoff

Waste water we produce is discharged into the public sewerage systems and we assume that it has no effect on biodiversity other than that which normally arises in connection with this type of discharge.
  Full
EN26
(7–9)
Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation

Our innovative insurance solutions enable our clients to make sustainable investments. We are firmly committed to devising innovative coverage concepts for new and complex risks together with integrated solutions. A number of our insurance and reinsurance solutions help to mitigate environmental impacts.


Munich Re has long advocated the promotion and development of renewable energy and emission reductions. This gave rise to an ambitious industrial initiative established in conjunction with the DESERTEC Foundation in 2009: Dii GmbH. The idea behind the initiative is to generate electricity in those areas (e.g. North Africa) where a virtually limitless supply of renewable energy is available, and subsequently transport it to the countries that consume it.

Furthermore, we have specialised departments working constantly on innovative insurance solutions, such as an insurance concept covering the exploration risk of geothermal energy projects. The product was initially made public through newly established contacts with financial institutions, brokers and project managers. At present, Munich Re is assessing the US market with a view to marketing such products and is currently involved in intensive negotiations with four projects in the states of Nevada and California.

In 2009, our reinsurance group and MEAG set up the major RENT (Renewable Energies and New Technologies) project. Since then, experts from both companies have been sounding out the potential for strategic investment in renewable energy and new technologies, the main focus being on non-fossil power generation (for more details please see EN6).

CR portal Full
EN27
(8, 9)
Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category

No data are available, as this does not apply to companies in the insurance sector.
  Not relevant
EN28
(8)
Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations

This does not apply to companies in the insurance sector, as we do not have production sites but office buildings. Therefore no fines were paid.
  Full
EN29
(8)
Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and materials used for the organisation's operations, and transporting members of the workforce

Business travel totalled 359,843,716 km in 2011. Environmental impacts caused by business travel are unavoidable in the insurance sector. Munich Re companies operate globally and rely on direct contacts with clients. Where possible, internal meetings are held in the form of telephone and videoconferences to avoid business travel. When it comes to financial goods, Munich Re is investing large sums of money to achieve climate neutrality.
See also examples under EN 7.
CR portal Partial
EN30
(7-9)
Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type

Environmental protection expenditures are largely embedded in overall operational business expenditures, and therefore without dedicated budgeting and reporting. Thus in most cases, it is not possible to determine the exact amount used for regular maintenance that is also environmentally beneficial. Furthermore, numerous activities that help reduce Munich Re's environmental impact do not involve any expenses.
CR portal Partial
Social performance indicators
GRI-No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
  Labour practices and decent work performance indicators
Unless otherwise stated, the figures given in the following tables cover approximately 67%. Further details are available under » Employee indicators in the “Facts and figures“ section.
LA
(1, 3, 6)
Management approach

Our staff provide the basis for our success due to their competence, motivation and commitment. We are consistently committed to investing in their development and provide all staff with equal opportunities and top-quality working conditions.


We strive to recruit the best staff we can and to fill them with enthusiasm for the global business of dealing with opportunities and risks. In our international human resources work and strategic workforce planning, our focus is on the individual. We are a successful and valued employer, not only adapting to the current demands of the labour market but also understanding how to meet the changing needs of our staff. Flexible work models, special conditions for employees with children, the promotion of healthcare, and social counselling services are just some of the factors that make Munich Re a respected employer. Equal treatment is an inherent part of our corporate culture.

In 2010 and 2011, the Board of Management positioned diversity as a strategic issue for the Group. To underscore this, Munich Re has launched an international project aimed at formulating Group-wide parameters and a Group-wide diversity concept steered by an international Munich Re diversity council. The goal is to create a strategic framework that applies for the entire Group. With this framework, it is planned to show how we define diversity strategically from a Group level and to give recommendations. A diversity project has been launched at ERGO, too. It is mostly in line with our Group project focus, so there will definitely be mutual benefit. On the international level, we already have initiatives relating to family concerns in many places. For example, some units have employees who work from a home office, some provide childcare discounts or make available childcare options, and others offer employee assistance programmes for work-life balance and similar issues.

CR portal Full
LA1 Total workforce by employment type, employment contract and region

As at 31 December 2011, Munich Re employed a total of 47,206 staff, 15,142 of these in reinsurance (including Munich Health staff), 31,311 in primary insurance and 753 in asset management.

Staff by employment contract at offices in Germany in 2011:

Staff members with temporary employment contracts: 1,836
Staff members with open-ended employment contracts: 29,844

Munich Re staff by employment type:

In 2011, 4,397 of our staff were part-time, 27,252 were employed full-time.

Distribution of reinsurance staff by region (2011):

Germany: 24,299
Rest of Europe: 13,962
North America: 6,781
Latin America: 128
Asia and Australasia: 1,472
Africa, Near and Middle East: 564

CR portalCorporate website (Staff) Publication “Staff 2009: Data and facts” Full
LA2
(6)
Total number and rate of employee turnover by age group, gender and region

The number of staff employed by Munich Re rose in 2011 due largely to international acquisitions in the reinsurance group, for example Windsor Health Group Inc., USA.


The weighted average turnover rate was 8.5% in 2011.

Monitoring detailed turnover rates at Munich Re is a task of the decentralised units. Also, turnover categories often refer to local or company-specific regulations. Munich Re therefore does not aggregate detailed turnover data from the different decentralised units.

CR portal Partial
LA3 Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations

Munich Re does not differentiate between benefits provided to full-time staff and those provided to part-time staff.


Munich Re offers its staff various benefits, the nature and scope of which are determined on an individual company basis and not centrally. At Munich Re, additional benefits have a long-standing tradition and we attach great importance to them. They are part and parcel of our overall remuneration concept and mirror our corporate culture.

Family-friendly work measures are also determined on a decentralised basis. Munich Re’s offices in Germany work with a number of service providers that help staff find good childcare. Company childcare centres have reserved places for staff children, which helps women return to qualified positions. In addition, independent family services offer assistance in securing tailor-made care for children of staff or for other family members.

CR portal Full
LA4
(1, 3)
Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements

Munich Re (Reinsurance) Germany: 93%
ERGO Germany: 95%
MEAG: 97%

We do not keep any record of employees' union memberships. Both MR Munich and ERGO are members of the Employers' Association for Insurance Companies in Germany and therefore subject to the association's collective bargaining agreements; the same terms and conditions apply to both union and non-union members. Employees' interests are represented by a staff council elected by the members of staff. Since July 2007, there has been a Group-wide staff council in addition to the different company staff councils. Besides this, there are employee representatives on the Supervisory Board. In all our contracts with employees (not applicable for executives), we refer to collective labour agreements. We state that the collective bargaining agreement is applicable independent of membership in a trade union. In addition, Munich Re is a member of the UN Global Compact and supports all its principles.
  Full
LA5
(3)
Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements.

In the event of operational changes, the Staff Council is duly informed of the action planned in accordance with its right to information, so that it can have a say in whether, when and how such changes are effected.
  Full
LA6
(1)
Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programmes

Munich Re complies with the health and safety requirements imposed by law, but there is no Group-wide committee in place to help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programmes. Every company has its own health and safety committee with joint management/employee representation on a local level.
CR portal Full
LA7
(1)
Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days and absenteeism and number of work-related fatalities by region

In 2011, the level of sick leave throughout Munich Re was 4.1%.

The number of occupational accidents is not recorded centrally. As a financial services provider, our exposure to occupational accidents and work-related fatalities is very small.
CR portal Partial
LA8
(1)
Education, training, counselling, prevention and risk-control programmes in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases

As part of their responsibility as employers, Munich Re companies help their staff to look after their health and maintain it in the long term. Consequently, all the legal requirements in respect of health and safety at work are met and additional measures offered such as counselling and training programmes on stress management, ergonomic working conditions and similar issues.


The measures are initiated and coordinated by the individual companies within Munich Re and not centrally. A substantial number of Munich Re sites have their own company medical officers who inform staff about recommended vaccinations, instruct them on what to do in the event of acute health risks, organise first-aid within the company, give advice on occupational health, offer voluntary regular extensive check-ups to identify health risks and diseases at an early stage, monitor the execution of occupational safety with regard to regulatory requirements and accident prevention measures, inspect the workplace, examine work-related injuries, make sure that all employees are informed about requirements of work safety and accident prevention, and provide urgent medical treatment where necessary. They also advise management and the employees who deal with such issues on matters concerning health and safety at work.

Since 2001, Munich Re Munich has had a health and safety committee, going far beyond legal requirements, integrated into its risk management system. Staff going on business trips can attend security training courses, while brochures like “Gymnastics at the workplace” and offers for back training are available. Moreover, information on employee care is provided on the intranet. Our employee assistance programme (Work-Life Service in Munich) offers life counselling, stress management and conflict-solving.

CR portal Full
LA9
(1)
Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions.

Each company discusses safety at work issues with its own employee representatives. The relevant statutes are applied.
  Partial
LA10 Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category.

In 2011, the average number of days’ training per employee for Munich Re Group was 3.06 (compared with 3.36 in 2010).
The average hours per employee category are not tracked in our reporting system.
CR portal Full
LA11 Programmes for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings

We give high priority to staff training and personal development. Munich Re advocates lifelong learning. We offer a wide range of training options in each of our business fields and at MEAG. Munich Re fosters key-skill and specialist staff training by organising specialist and personal training measures. Modern e-learning platforms accessible to staff worldwide are another training option.

Due to the different business lines of Munich Re, all of our activities/actions are based on the same principles but with local freedom of application. We support the enhancement of skills and excellence in business-specific functions by means of competence profiles, curricula and consistent quality assurance. The career development of our specialists is also of central importance to us. At Munich Re, personnel development initiatives are an integral part of the annual appraisal interviews.
CR portal Full
LA12 Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews

Due to Munich Re's different business lines, all of our activities/actions are based on the same principles but with local freedom of application. Performance appraisals are part of Munich Re’s performance management system. Employees and managers set objectives that are reviewed on a regular basis. Personnel development initiatives are part of the annual appraisal interviews.

Munich Re (reinsurance) Germany: 100%
MEAG: 100%

Most of the staff in Munich Re’s international organisation have regular performance appraisals, but currently no international data are available.

The different companies at ERGO have different processes and guidelines. From 2012 on, there will be a consistent and mandatory skill mapping and developing process for all employees, ratified by the company together with the Staff Council.
CR portal Full
LA13
(1, 6)
Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership and other indicators of diversity

Staff diversity is a key aspect of Munich Re’s corporate culture.
In 2011, 52% of Munich Re employees were female. The proportion of females in management positions has been rising in recent years, and amounted to 26% in 2011.

Munich Re staff by age (2011):
29 and under: 4,169
30 to 49: 18,548
50 and over: 6,716
This does not add up to the total number of employees because coverage is not 100%

In some of the countries where we operate, employers are prohibited by law from asking employees questions about minority group membership.
CR portalGroup annual report 2011
“Staff”: p. 114 ff.
Partial
LA14
(1, 6)
Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category

Our policy on salary determination is not based on gender but on individual expertise, experience and market-based criteria. The Group's remuneration practices are strictly independent of any diversity factors including a person's gender; hence we do not differentiate between men and women in our remuneration system. Furthermore, Munich Re has implemented a transparent and neutral payment system oriented towards employee performance, responsibility and experience. Please refer to non-discrimination/social conduct in our codes of conduct.
CR portal Not reported
  2. Human rights
HR
(1–6)
Management approach

Observance of human rights is axiomatic for Munich Re. In August 2007, Munich Re joined the United Nations’ Global Compact initiative.


Its ten principles provide us with important action guidelines, and principles 1 and 2 refer explicitly to the issue of human rights. We have implemented numerous systems and measures that make clear our commitment.

Our Code of Conduct specifies that we expect our employees to observe the personal dignity, privacy and personality rights of every individual. We do not tolerate any discrimination (on grounds of age, sex, ethnic origin, nationality, political opinion, race, religion or the like), sexual harassment, other personal harassment, or insulting behaviour. Neither do we tolerate any intimidation or violence, or the threat thereof.

As a member of the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) Initiative, we work for greater consideration of ecological, social and governance (ESG) factors in the insurance industry.

CR portal Full
HR1
(1–6)
Percentage and total number of significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses or that have undergone human rights screening

In our asset management, we follow the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) throughout our Group. Munich Re was the first German company to sign the Principles for Responsible Investment, which we played a prominent role in helping to establish.


Based on the PRI, our General Investment Guidelines stipulate that 80% of our own investments in shares, bonds, real estate (up from 2010) and investments in the RENT project should satisfy sustainability criteria, which include human rights aspects.

In addition, MEAG offers its clients investment products that take account of sustainability criteria. These sustainability funds enable clients to invest in accordance with the principles of socially responsible investing (SRI).

CR portalGroup annual report 2011
page 32
Full
HR2
(1-6)
Percentage of significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human rights and actions taken

In our procurement policy, we also aim to achieve a balance in terms of economic, ecological and social aspects, which include human rights.


A corporate responsibility clause (Munich Re reinsurance group only) is included in all new and renegotiated contracts with suppliers and service providers, obligating suppliers and providers to comply with the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. In 2011, Central Procurement concluded contracts covering about 90% of the overall spend with German suppliers who have to comply with the basic principles of the UN Global compact like human rights, labour law and anti-corruption that are laid down in German legislation.

Regarding ERGO: A detailed supplier self-disclosure – including various questions related to environmental aspects and environmental certificates – is required for all purchasing volumes.

CR portal Full
HR3
(1–6)
Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of employees trained

Our Code of Conduct is a key source of guidance for our actions and describes our understanding of the relevant values. The code specifies our rules for legally impeccable conduct, based on ethical principles. To optimise the outcome of this value management, we provide training programmes on the Code of Conduct for our employees. Since the beginning of 2011, all employees in the reinsurance group have had access to an e-learning module on this topic. We expect employees to acquaint themselves with the contents and obligations of the Code of Conduct and test their knowledge of the areas that it covers. ERGO introduced an e-learning module for senior executives in 2009.
CR portal Partial
HR4
(1, 2, 6)
Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken

Equal treatment and non-discrimination are enshrined in Munich Re’s codes of conduct. Munich Re does not tolerate discrimination – whether based on age, gender, ethnic origin, cultural identity, religious beliefs, political opinions or similar grounds. Therefore Munich Re signed the German Charter of Diversity in 2011, following ERGO (since 2009). Signatories agree to create a work environment free from prejudice and exclusion, including an internal review of HR processes at regular intervals.


Internal codes of conduct have been implemented and set standards for all business activities. Other guidelines and principles have to be aligned with the codes of conduct, which formulate the main rules and principles for correct behavior by employees and reflects our values. Non-discrimination is one of the topics covered by the codes of conduct.

The codes, which are obligatory for all Munich Re employees worldwide, provides clear guidance by laying down principles for topics such as non-discrimination and harassment, dealing with confidential information, insider trading, external communications, conflicts of interest, gifts and entertainment, and the protection of Group property and natural resources. If material cases of discrimination occur, they are reported to the compliance functions as defined by escalation criteria.

Furthermore, Group-wide representative bodies for disabled employees are in place. ERGO has appointed a central equal opportunities officer to ensure the rules are respected at its offices in Germany. In addition, since 2008, there has been a company agreement for the integration of disabled persons. Any incidents of discrimination and measures taken are recorded locally; no Group data are available.

CR portal Not applicable
HR5
(1–3)
Operations identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk, and actions taken to support these rights

In the period under review, no business operations were identified in which freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining were at risk.


By joining the UN’s Global Compact, Munich Re has also demonstrated its commitment to observing the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Munich Re complies with the relevant laws applying in the different countries in which we do business.

We do not keep any record of employees' union memberships. Munich Re Munich and ERGO are members of the Employers' Association for Insurance Companies in Germany and therefore subject to the association's collective bargaining agreements; the same terms and conditions apply to both union and non-union members. Employees' interests are represented by a staff council elected by the members of staff. Since July 2007, there has been a Group-wide staff council in addition to the different company staff councils. Besides this, there are employee representatives on the Supervisory Board. In all our contracts with employees, we refer to collective bargaining agreements. We state that the collective bargaining agreement is applicable independent of membership in a trade union.

CR portal Full
HR6
(1, 2, 5)
Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labour, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labour

In the period under review, no business operations were identified in which there was a significant risk of child labour. This aspect is of little relevance in Munich Re’s business, as key units of the Group operate in countries where child labour is prohibited by law. By joining the UN Global Compact, however, Munich Re has made clear that it will not tolerate child labour.

This means as well that all Munich Re suppliers abide by the company's environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards, as outlined in the Munich Re Code of Conduct and Purchasing Guidelines. Both the codes and the guidelines are in line with the principles of the United Nations (UN) Global Compact – in particular human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption.
CR portal Full
HR7
(1, 2, 4)
Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labour

In the period under review, no business operations were identified in which there was a significant risk of forced or compulsory labour. This aspect is of little relevance in Munich Re’s business, as key units of the Group operate in countries where such labour is prohibited by law. By joining the UN Global Compact, however, Munich Re has made clear that it will not tolerate forced labour.
CR portal Full
HR8
(1, 2)
Percentage of security personnel trained in the organisation’s policies or procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations

Munich Re’s Code of Conduct applies to its own security staff. For external security personnel, the conditions of the new Purchasing Guidelines apply, which require that all new supply and service contracts must contain a corporate responsibility clause based on the UN’s Global Compact.
CR portal Not applicable
HR9
(1, 2)
Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and actions taken

In the period under review, no business operations were identified in which the rights of indigenous peoples were violated. This aspect is of little relevance in Munich Re’s business. By joining the UN Global Compact, however, Munich Re has made clear that it will not tolerate the violation of the rights of indigenous people.
CR portal Full
  3. Society
SO
(10)
Management approach

For us as a global risk carrier, a prospective, prudent and responsible approach is self-evident. We therefore aim to take due account of economic, ecological and social requirements in our operations. That is why the coordination of corporate responsibility is located in our Group Development Division – to ensure that we meet the aforementioned aim both in our business and in our interaction with society.


Each Munich Re company has an effective anti-fraud management system in place. A corresponding directive sets out the specific duties and responsibilities that play an important part in preventing and combating fraud.

Also important to us are preventing and combating corruption and financial crime. Key guidelines are provided by our Code of Conduct, which specifies our rules for legally impeccable conduct, based on ethical principles, and describes our understanding of the relevant values.

We also exercise our corporate responsibility in the communities in which our operations are located. The focal points of our social commitment are the active promotion of science and the support of socially disadvantaged youngsters and people in need. For our international social commitment, we have designed a Group-wide corporate citizenship concept that contains concrete sponsorship criteria. In addition, we have established ourselves as a patron of the arts and culture. The foundations we have set up play an important part, and they make a significant contribution to sustainable development throughout the world.

CR portal Full
  Aspect: Community
SO1 Nature, scope, and effectiveness of any programmes and practices that assess and manage the impacts of operations on communities, including entering, operating, and exiting

This indicator has little relevance for Munich Re as a financial services provider: in contrast to other sectors of the economy, we have only a comparatively small impact on the local community with our office-based business operations.

Nevertheless, Munich Re is a participant in a working platform of the Bertelsmann Foundation, which is conducting research on the topic “Measuring benefits and implementing respective Group-wide tools”. The working group has developed the so-called “iooi method” to measure and plan corporate citizenship (CC) impact. A code of practice was published in 2010 in which we actively participated. We are planning to use these results together with the London Benchmarking Group (LBG) recommendations for future measurements.

Memberships are checked for their benefit/cost effectiveness and their specific outcome on a yearly basis by the Corporate Responsibility Department (within the Group Development Division) and by each responsible department, as are donations and corporate responsibility sponsorship activities. The survey includes the expenses for CC and information on special projects and activities in this field. A network to foster contact and exchange between the different business units was implemented by the end of 2011. The evaluation of work/projects is also a key issue for the Munich Re Foundation (MRF), and all three foundations are part of our integral and holistic corporate responsibility. The Board of Trustees of MRF holds two meetings every year to systematically monitor project quality, risks and chances. Project success and impact are key concerns, good reporting and evaluation are key priorities, and projects undergo a regular audit. The most recent evaluation of the foundation’s work was conducted by an external expert team (AgenZ, Frankfurt, Germany). Its summary attests successful work and good progress. It is essential to know how deep the impact of the projects is and what can be improved. The impact of our CR commitment is reflected in the increasing number of applications and demands for support, sponsoring, cooperation and partnerships in CR-related sectors at Munich Re.
  Not relevant
  Aspect: Corruption
SO2
(10)
Percentage and total number of business units analysed for risks related to corruption

An anti-fraud analysis covering all business units and regions is conducted as part of the internal Group-wide risk-control system (ICS).
CR portal Full
SO3
(10)
Percentage of employees trained in the organisation’s anti-corruption policies and procedures

Our employees are regularly informed about the issues of anti-corruption and fraud in work instructions, courses and presentations. The aim of these programmes is to inform them about the main anti-corruption and anti-fraud rules, the essentials of the Anti-Corruption and Gifts & Entertainment Policies, and Munich Re’s anti-fraud principles. An expanded e-learning module for the reinsurance group on the Code of Conduct has been available to employees since August 2010. The module, based on existing learning programmes, not only deals with the issues of anti-corruption and conflicts of interest but also goes into more detail on how to handle gifts and invitations.
CR portal Full
SO4
(10)
Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption

In 2010, we largely completed the enhancement of our internal control system (ICS), a uniform worldwide system for managing operational risks integrated across all risk dimensions and areas of the Group that both meets Group management needs and satisfies local legal and regulatory requirements. The Board of Management has Group-wide responsibility for the ICS, which falls structurally under the responsibility of the CRO. Experts and staff in our specialist areas are responsible for the detailed content of the system and perform the risk and control assessments, ensuring that we have been able to reinforce the harmonised understanding of risk within the Group and considerably raise awareness of the importance of risk and controls in our operational processes (further information: Group Annual Report 2011, page 123 ff.).
CR portal Full
  Aspect: Public policy
SO5
(1–10)
Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying

In 2010, Munich Re established a new unit within the division Group Legal (Governmental Affairs) to more effectively observe, assess and exert a constructive influence on the relevant developments and to actively communicate on a political stage. In Munich, Berlin and now in Brussels, the department coordinates a process that takes in all of Munich Re, assessing the relevant issues and developing positions valid for the entire Group.


A focal point of Munich Re’s lobbying activities concerns issues of national, European and international supervisory legislation. In addition, Munich Re assumes a leading role in connection with the Geneva Association. An example of our activities in this connection is climate change: in line with our sustainability goals and due to our long-standing expertise, we are involved in major international activities with regard to climate change. Munich Re is an acknowledged partner for policymakers, providing excellent knowledge and advice to shape mitigation and adaptation measures for combating climate change.

Munich Re’s Geo Risks Research unit was set up in 1974 to analyse and actively address changing natural hazard risks and climate-change risks that impact our reinsurance activities. We have continually enhanced and updated our specialist expertise and, since 2008, our climate-change activities have been coordinated by our Corporate Climate Centre (CCC), a network of staff dealing with the consequences of climate change for Munich Re as a whole.

Moreover, Munich Re is the initiator of the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) launched in 2005, and has been the sponsor of the MCII office on the United Nations University campus in Bonn since 2008. The MCII is made up of insurers, scientists, and non-governmental organisations. This wide-ranging group is united in the goal of formulating and putting in place insurance-related solutions for developing countries without functioning insurance markets in order to help combat the rising losses in these areas.

  Full
SO6
(10)
Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians, and related institutions by country

Donations and social investment:

Corporate Citizenship funding: € 6,710,681
Therein included are political contributions/donations and the project funding of our three company foundations.


In 2011, Munich Re donated the sum of € 170,342 to the five main German political parties, including donations to their relevant political organisations. From 2011 on, political donations have been evenly and transparently distributed across all non-extreme parties, so that these form part of our corporate citizenship.

The projects and activities of Munich Re's three foundations (Munich Re Foundation, Dr. Hans Jürgen Schinzler Foundation, and the ERGO Foundation "Youth&Future") show how we can provide active support and deliver effective solutions for global, social and scientific challenges. Project funding of the three foundations: € 1,679,628.

  Full
  Aspect: Anti-competitive behavior
SO7 Total number of legal actions for anticompetitive behaviour, anti-trust, and monopoly practices and their outcomes

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle and regulated by our Code of Conduct.
Group annual report 2011
“Notes to the consolidated financial statements”: p. 161 ff.
Full
  Aspect: Compliance
SO8 Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle and regulated by our Code of Conduct.
Group annual report 2011
“Notes to the consolidated financial statements”: p. 161 ff.
Not reported
  4. Product responsibility
PR
(1, 8)
Management approach

We are committed to high-quality insurance and reinsurance client management, maintaining close contacts and regular communications with our clients, and thus enhancing client satisfaction and client loyalty.


Through this constant exchange, Munich Re’s products, services and processes can be geared to the clients’ needs, and this enables us to meet their expectations of us as a quality provider. All client enquiries are treated with the same professionalism and integrity: our dealings with clients are always based on the same standards. Client data are handled with strict confidentiality, personal data being recorded and forwarded to others only with the client’s express agreement. Furthermore, in respect of all mentioned services, it is important to outline that consumer protection is of utmost importance. Data and information from and about customers are handled extremely carefully based on the local standards as a minimum. Our systems are in compliance with the strict German Data Protection Act.

With regard to our insurance operations, our customer sales service and advisory activities are regularly monitored and rated by external agencies and client surveys. Certificates and service ratings awarded by prominent market research institutes confirm high customer-satisfaction levels, showing that our qualified representatives give advice tailored to individual needs. Client satisfaction is also one of the key performance indicators incorporated in the balanced scorecard objectives of ERGO sales staff.

Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction:
The Munich Re Group has different client bases in reinsurance and primary insurance. For both of them, client satisfaction is of great importance. External awards show that we do very well. Munich Re’s client-focused approach is based on open dialogue with our insurance and reinsurance clients.

Full
  Aspect: Client health and safety
PR1
(1)
Life cycle stages in which health and safety impacts of products and services are assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures

Munich Re’s products are not tangible and therefore have no health and safety impacts. This indicator does not apply to our sector.
  Not relevant
PR2
(1)
Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning health and safety impacts of products and services during their life cycle, by type of outcomes

Munich Re’s products are not tangible and therefore have no health and safety impacts. This indicator does not apply to our sector.
  Not relevant
  Aspect: Product and service labeling
PR3
(8)
Type of product and service information required by procedures, and percentage of significant products and services subject to such information requirements

Munich Re’s product and service range – from development and marketing to conclusion of the business – is subject to strict quality controls. Hence no significant product or service categories are covered by and assessed for compliance with such procedures.

To further clarify insurance terms and conditions, ERGO has significantly improved the transparency of all documents. Customers receive all the information they need on the conditions of liability relating to their insurance protection in a clear and transparent format.
Full
PR4
(1)
Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning product and service information and labelling, by type of outcomes

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle and is regulated by our Code of Conduct. See also PR3.
  Not applicable
PR5 Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring customer satisfaction

Munich Re’s client-focused approach is based on open dialogue with our insurance and reinsurance clients. As we have different client basis, every entity has its own customer satisfaction measurement.


In general, we measure Munich Re’s company image on a regular basis. For example, we participate in Flaspöhler studies (Flaspöhler Europe Non-Life Survey and Flaspöhler Europe Life Survey, which both take place every two years) and achieved top positions in 2006, 2008 and 2010. The survey consists of questions about reinsurer utilisation, perceptions of reinsurers, products and services, reinsurer selection and associated topics, such as Solvency II. The results of the 2010 Flaspöhler survey, the main cedant survey, confirmed Munich Re’s position as best non-life and life reinsurer. This was the third consecutive time Munich Re had gained the title, having previously done so in 2006 and 2008. Munich Re was also voted “Reinsurer of the Decade 2001–2010”.

Since 2007, on a yearly basis, customer satisfaction ratings for ERGO have been monitored by an external market research institute, the results being incorporated in ERGO’s balanced scorecard. German inspection agency TÜV has awarded ERGO’s highly professional client management a “good” rating on service and client satisfaction. ERGO’s claims management, which is subject to regular quality checks, claims audits and controls, is certified to Germany’s DIN EN ISO 9001 standard. Its client services are centrally managed and coordinated, the same quality standards applying to all ERGO Group companies.

CR portalGroup annual report 2011
“Clients and client relationships”: pp. 112 – 113
Full
  Aspect: Marketing communications
PR6 Programmes for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship

Munich Re’s product and service range – from development and marketing to the conclusion of business – is subject to strict quality controls.


We see it as our duty to ensure transparency and to present the terms, conditions and prices of our products and services clearly and coherently, carrying out regular checks of our marketing activities and advertisements to ensure they are understandable to clients.

The corresponding activities and procedures are governed by an internal code of conduct, which sets binding standards and rules, including a commitment to fair and open dealings with business partners and clients.

Together with the German consumer magazine “Guter Rat” (“Good Advice”), the Institut für Transparenz in der Altersvorsorge GmbH (ITA), an institute aiming at transparency in old-age provision, tested the contents of several Riester pension product information sheets for clarity. According to the experts, the product information sheet from German life insurer ERGO Lebensversicherung is the easiest to understand and was voted the winner.

Since the reform of the German Insurance Contract Act in 2008, insurance policies must highlight all the key information to customers in product information sheets. The product information sheet acts as a simplified summary of the General Terms and Conditions of Insurance and should enable customers to understand exactly what they are signing. Furthermore, all ERGO sales agents have to comply with a special code of conduct.

  Full
PR7 Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship by type of outcomes

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle and is regulated by our Code of Conduct.
Group annual report 2011
“Notes to the consolidated financial statements”: p. 161 ff.
“Munich Re Code of Conduct”: p. 31
Full
  Aspect: Customer privacy
PR8
(1)
Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy and losses of customer data

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle and is regulated in our Code of Conduct and our safety regulations. Munich Re has not received any information about material breaches of privacy rules.
  Full
  Aspect: Compliance
PR9 Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services

For us, adherence to high ethical and legal standards is a matter of principle.
Group annual report 2011
“Notes to the consolidated financial statements”: p. 161 ff.
Full
Financial Services Sector Supplement
GRI-No./
(GC*)
Performance indicator / Brief answer Link Degree of compliance
  Financial sector indicators: Financial Services Sector Supplement (FSSS)
FS1 Policies with specific environmental and social components applied to business lines

Understanding/quantifying ESG (environmental, social, governance) aspects and risks is crucial for insurance and reinsurance companies. How best to manage risks of change in long-tail business is key for our business. We analyse in depth all relevant trends as well as geo risks/climate change that influence the corresponding financial risks. As we factor our risk knowledge into our business development, risks are at the same time business opportunities. Early detection of risk is implemented in all product/market development; appropriate ESG risks are taken into account. Each department has experts to ensure that all future risks relating to specific products are identified.

In August 2007, Munich Re joined the United Nations Global Compact, whose ten principles constitute key guidelines for our actions. In 2006, Munich Re signed the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). As a member of the UNEP FI PSI Initiative, we work for greater consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the insurance industry. We chair the Principles for Sustainable Insurance Working Group and signed the Principles for Sustainable Insurance in June 2012. Our General Investment Guidelines indicate that 80% of the assets should be managed according to SRI criteria.


Besides this, our Code of Conduct and compliance manual contain information on the main areas concerned with correct business practice in this context. The codes of conduct of all Munich Re Group companies lay down ESG (environmental, social, governance) criteria. We also have a new corporate responsibility mission statement. Applying a refined corporate responsibility (CR) strategy, we will use the PSI framework to develop a concept for the integration of CR in business, providing a more structured approach to the ESG topics in core business. The process of identifying relevant ESG issues is being steered by the CR Department. The first example is the elaboration of a new corporate policy on banned weapons. Our Group Risk Committee deals with matters such as early identification of issues of concern or constituting a risk to the Group as a whole such as reputational and emerging risks.

In addition to Group-level committees, Munich Re’s reinsurance group has also established structures and units within the business fields, such as the Reputational Risk Committee (RRC – see item FS2) and Emerging Risks Think Tank (see item FS2). Specific guidelines regarding the environment play a vital part in our environmental strategy, which is valid Group-wide.

CR portal Full
FS2 Procedures for assessing and screening environmental and social risks in business lines

Early detection of risk is implemented in all product/market development. Where appropriate, ESG risks are taken into account; each department has experts to ensure that all future risks relating to the specific area or product will be identified. The Global Underwriting and Risk Committee (GURC) is responsible for the establishment and ongoing implementation of an appropriate risk management process in the business field of reinsurance to ensure that risks are quantified and entered into consciously and that sufficient capital is available to cover all the significant risks in that business field.

A key part of our Group-wide risk management being to detect future ESG risks for our core business, we analyse and monitor our markets in order to identify such risks. Munich Re’s ESG risk-identification systems are managed and monitored by Group-level functions.


Further specialised units/panels for early ESG risk detection:

  • Reputational Risk Committee (Group Annual Report 2011, page 128)
  • Emerging Risks Think Tank (Group Annual Report 2011, page 137). In 2010, we largely completed the enhancement of our internal control system (ICS), a uniform worldwide system for managing operational risks integrated across all risk dimensions and areas of the Group that both meets Group management needs and satisfies local legal and regulatory requirements. (Group Annual Report 2011, page 123)
  • In 2007, Munich Re established the Corporate Climate Centre (CCC), forming the link between geoscientific research and operative underwriting.
  • The Group Development and Economic Research Department provides not only "classic" macroeconomic research but also analyses of social, political, environmental and technological megatrends, including reputational risks, potential disruptive developments and their influence on the Group’s future business.
  • The Corporate Responsibility Department is working on systematic consideration of ESG factors in our business. A first concrete example is a policy concerning companies producing, storing or trading banned weapons.

In addition, in specialised centres of competence, e.g. for biosciences, experts develop solutions for new risks based on systematic analysis and prognoses. Whether it is natural catastrophes threatening our increasingly interwoven economies, demographic change, or new diseases – we actively contribute our know-how and implement risk management.

CR portalLinks Full
FS3 Processes for monitoring clients’ implementation of and compliance with environmental and social requirements included in agreements or transactions

That environmental, social and governance requirements are included in our risk assessment process can be seen from our comprehensive risk management, backed by our internal risk-control system strategy. Comprehensive risk analyses play a key part in our assessment of a client’s risk profile.


Our core activities include the risk assessments we undertake during annual renewals, the objective of which is to re-evaluate and revise our reinsurance contracts. They include any particular environmental, social and political factors the individual contracts may involve.

MEAG, the asset manager of Munich Re and ERGO, currently has assets totalling some €216bn in its portfolio. Investments of this magnitude entail substantial responsibility, which we take very seriously and monitor accordingly. This strategy is strictly geared to our asset-liability management guidelines and consistent risk management.

As signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment, we decided as early as 2002 that our investments in shares and bonds would be subject to sustainability criteria. In 2005, this aim was set out in our Group-wide General Investment Guidelines (GIGs) and extended to government bonds. Since then, the Group has endeavoured to place 80% of the market value of these investments in securities listed in recognised sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Additionally, we use sustainability ratings such as Sustainalytics for our evaluation.

CR portalLinks Full
FS4 Process(es) for improving staff competency to implement the environmental and social policies and procedures as applied to business lines

Munich Re's corporate responsibility strategy and activities are presented in various formats, at events like our introduction courses for new staff members and courses for graduate recruits and trainees, and also at reinsurance and primary insurance management level.


Regular workshops giving opportunities for knowledge transfer with departments throughout Munich Re also play a part in the sharing of CR knowledge and promoting of CR issues.

Important guidelines are provided by our Code of Conduct, copies of which all our employees receive together with their employment contracts which have to be signed. The Code specifies our rules for legally impeccable conduct, based on ethical principles, and describes our understanding of the relevant values. Our codes of conduct contain regulations that are binding on all employees, including environmental protection in our operational context and the handling of conflicts of interest and discrimination. The codes are regularly updated and freely accessible to all staff on our intranet.

Our asset management staff attend workshops and working groups that deal with the role of corporate responsibility in the investment process, and regular exchanges are organised with external specialists on socially responsible investment (SRI) and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The relevant teams address these issues in depth, dealing with in-house and external questions, carrying out research, attending courses and discussing ESG criteria with companies in which Munich Re invests.

Our environmental management system is systematically updated and assessed with regard to applicability and use in terms of compliance with the regulations laid down in the environmental manual and the appropriateness of these.

Munich Re has environmental management system courses, communications and controls, sets annual environmental programme targets and keeps records of the extent of their implementation and fulfilment. We also organise continuing professional and personal development courses. Internal audits are held annually to verify the overall extent and approach of our environmental management.

  Full
FS5 Interactions with clients/investees/business partners regarding environmental and social risks and opportunities

One of Munich Re’s main concerns has always been to foster open interaction with our stakeholders, i.e. primarily with our insurance and reinsurance clients, the media, the general public, our employees and capital market players.


Our reinsurance operations focus on customised products. Each contract is designed to match the risks of the individual client and, as a result, we establish very close ties with our clients.

We share information with investors and analysts. At roadshows and in individual meetings, our senior management explain Munich Re’s strategy and business model in detail.

Our business is inextricably linked with environmental issues. We are directly affected by environmental impacts, such as the growing number and intensity of weather-related natural catastrophes. A particular focus of our commitment is therefore on climate protection: we have long been contributing our specialist knowledge to numerous organisations and associations concerned with global warming. We have analysed climate change issues for over 35 years, our work in this field supporting efforts to tackle climate change impacts.

Communications with external partners are among the main factors involved in implementation of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). We communicate our investment criteria, which include sustainability considerations, and address them in dialogue with our business partners. Where our MEAG Nachhaltigkeit and MEAG FairReturn funds are concerned, we also ask them to supply information relevant to our sustainable investment criteria. We are publishing an increasing amount of information on PRI issues, e.g. through announcements in the financial press and our involvement in presentations and congresses on sustainability.

From the CR perspective, we believe that interacting with clients, investees and business partners also means assuming responsibility for the community in which we live and work. The focal points of our social commitment are the active promotion of science and support of socially disadvantaged youngsters and people in need. In addition, we have established ourselves as a patron of the arts and culture. Our Group-wide Corporate Citizenship Concept contains sponsorship criteria in order to position our self more strategically. The foundations we have set up play an important part in this, making a significant contribution to sustainable development globally.

CR portal Full
FS6 Percentage of the portfolio for business lines by specific region, size (e.g. micro/SME/large) and by sector

Gross premiums written: €49,572m

By business line:

Reinsurance
Life and health insurance: €9,602m
Property-casualty insurance: €16,903m
Total: €26,5m

Primary insurance
Life: €6,263m
Health insurance: €5,717m
Property-casualty insurance: €5,637m
Total: €17,6m

Munich Health
Total: €6,133m

By region:

Germany: €14,423m
Rest of Europe: €12,783m
North America: €14,864m
Asia and Australasia: €4,978m
Africa, Near and Middle East: €988m
Latin America: €1,536m

Consolidation: -€683m
Group annual report 2010/Consolidated financial statements and notes
“Notes to the consolidated financial statements”: p. 161 ff.
Full
FS7 Monetary value of products and services designed to deliver a specific social benefit for each business line broken down by purpose

Our General Investment Guidelines stipulate that 80% of our own investments in shares and bonds should satisfy sustainability criteria. These SRI criteria include human rights issues.

Our asset management arm, MEAG, offers three sustainable investment funds: MEAG Nachhaltigkeit and MEAG FairReturn. In total, €150.5bn (end of Q4 2011) of our total assets comply with SRI criteria.

With different regional focuses and investment strategies, MEAG embeds ESG in asset management and offers corresponding products and services.
  Full
FS8 Monetary value of products and services designed to deliver a specific environmental benefit for each business line broken down by purpose

Our General Investment Guidelines stipulate that 80% of our own investments in shares and bonds should satisfy sustainability criteria. In the coming years, we intend to invest €2.5bn in renewable energies and corresponding new technologies. Furthermore, we project a premium volume in the mid three-digit million range from insurance products for renewable energy.
  Full
FS9 Coverage and frequency of audits to assess implementation of environmental and social policies and risk assessment procedures

Munich Re’s environmental management system (EMS) is certified to ISO 14001, and our Code of Conduct and environmental guidelines are geared to and support this system. Our externally certified environmental management system also monitors compliance with internal sustainability criteria and targets concerning our core business.
CR portal Full
FS10 Percentage and number of companies held in the institution’s portfolio with which the reporting organisation has interacted on environmental or social issues

It is difficult to put a precise figure on the number of companies with which we interact on social or ecological issues. In the course of our business relationships, our management has dealings with the managements of several hundred companies, these contacts also being used to address environmental issues in the context of our comprehensive risk analyses. Munich Re’s commitment to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment reinforces the relevance of such issues to our relationships with our partners. Although engagement cannot be tracked at a global level, MEAG does engage with companies in its investment portfolio, particularly those included in its socially responsible investment funds.
  Full
FS11 Percentage of assets subject to positive and negative environmental or social screening

As early as 2002, we decided that our investments in shares, corporate bonds and bank bonds should meet certain sustainability criteria. In 2005, this requirement was set out in our Group-wide General Investment Guidelines (GIGs) and extended to government bonds. Since then, the Group has tried to place at least 80% of the market value of these investments in securities listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index or defined by additional sustainability ratings. As at 31 December 2011, 82.1%, of our investments in shares, government, corporate and bank bonds met these criteria.
CR portal Full
FS12 Voting polic(y/ies) applied to environmental or social issues for shares over which the reporting organisation holds the right to vote shares or advises on voting

MEAG analyses whether corresponding shareholder resolutions are in line with long-term ESG considerations and MEAG’s corporate objectives, its voting being determined on that basis. Munich Re has relatively low shareholdings in other joint-stock companies at the present time (as at 31 December 2011, 4.4% of total investments). We exercise our right to vote primarily at the annual general meetings of German companies, since exercising such rights outside Germany entails substantial costs. Consequently, we do not appoint proxy voters in this connection.

MEAG also holds in-depth talks with individual companies aimed at improving their SRI performance.
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FS13 Access points in low-populated or economically disadvantaged areas by type

Microinsurance is playing an increasingly prominent role within Munich Re and globally because recent natural catastrophes have tended primarily to affect people whose financial means are extremely limited. Munich Re is working with MFIs, NGOs and other major players in this field.


In close collaboration with the important players (e.g. MFIs, NGOs), Munich Re is active in this market, all business lines included. We analyse selected markets and develop insurance solutions for our business-to-business and business-to-consumer business.

Some examples:

  1. Cooperation with CLIMBS on weather index related insurance (Cooperative Life Insurance & Mutual Benefit Services, Philippines).
  2. Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII): The Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) was initiated by Munich Re in April 2005 in response to the growing realisation that insurance solutions can play a role in adaptation to climate change, as suggested in the Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.
  3. ERGO offers microinsurance through a suite of products ranging from life to crop insurance.
  4. The Munich Re Foundation organises the world's biggest microinsurance conference.
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FS14 Initiatives to improve access to financial services for disadvantaged people

Munich Re offers a number of insurance products specifically geared to the needs of disadvantaged people, including microinsurance products available in emerging and developing countries like India and the Philippines.


Our Indian subsidiary offers a large selection of microinsurances from the non-life sector. These include health, personal accident and fire insurances as well as cover for loss of livestock (which especially in rural areas can be vital to survival for each household), damage to tractors, or crop failure as a result of extreme weather events. HDFC ERGO works with renowned microfinance institutions, country-based businesses, cooperatives and other rural associations.

In 2010, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Munich Re and GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) collaborated with the Philippine cooperative insurance company Coop Life Insurance & Mutual Benefit Services (CLIMBS) in launching a microinsurance product to protect the loan portfolio of cooperatives against losses from extreme weather events in the Philippines. A core concern is to pass on the benefits to end customers in low-income households.

Microinsurance is also a major topic addressed by the Munich Re Foundation, which among other things organises the world's biggest microinsurance conference (last held on 8 to 10 November 2011 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; next conference scheduled for 6 to 8 November 2012 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). Other products are tailored to the needs of specific social groups in industrialised countries, examples being personal accident covers for senior citizens and combined health insurance and assistance policies.

DKV offers special health insurance products for elderly policyholders struggling to pay the full insurance premium in their respective health insurance plans. The "Standardtarif" offers health insurance cover at the level of the compulsory government health insurance plan. A similar product has been introduced with the "Basistarif" for all policyholders. With these new products, DKV is providing affordable health insurance schemes to the community. We also provide insurance coverage for HIV-infected people.

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FS15 Policies for the fair design and sale of financial products and services

In accordance with our codes of conduct, we are fair and open in our business relations. Munich Re endeavours to give clients the best possible advice and the information they need to take sound decisions.


We try to avoid potential conflict with the interests of our clients and other business partners. Should such problems arise nonetheless, we make every effort to resolve them speedily. Munich Re’s Code of Conduct also contains data protection guidelines.

Munich Re’s product and service range – from development and marketing to the conclusion of business – is subject to strict quality controls. Transparency is important to us, and we are keen to ensure information on our products and services and the corresponding conditions is clearly expressed. Likewise, providing clear, coherent communications, beyond what is required by law, is one of ERGO’s value propositions. Customer queries can be dealt with through personal contact with one of ERGO’s many representatives.

After a major restructuring process within ERGO, a campaign for fair and easy perception of all ERGO products was conducted in 2011 for more transparency and open communication. With its “clear language” initiative, the ERGO Insurance Group intends to put communication with its customers on a new footing. The aim is to make communication easier for customers to understand. Lack of understanding is often the source of avoidable customer dissatisfaction with insurance companies. These criteria relating to the content, form and language of customer communication are meant to serve as a guide and a checklist for employees. ERGO will check texts for readability using special software and establish a minimum standard before the text is put to use.

Clarity also means concentrating on the information which customers need to know.

In the reinsurance context, we aim to be our clients’ preferred partner in risk, delivering solutions in the form of a broad range of products. Clients benefit from our strengths in financing issues and our expertise where risk is concerned.

We further enhanced our client management in 2008 by restructuring our client services within the individual divisional units. Our new client management approach aims to achieve uniform quality standards and more effective teamwork. Each cedant accordingly has its own contact person who knows the needs and individual characteristics of that particular client and market, such close relations enabling us to give clients tailored, constructive advice. Every year, we organise over 100 client seminars and workshops in Munich and at our other branches. Our connect.munichre client portal is one of our major client management assets. It gives cedants 24/7 global access to our services, analyses, tools and divisional unit information. The portal assists insurers in their day-to-day business, emphasising that Munich Re is a direct, reliable source to which clients can turn for information.

Compliance with the new standards is ensured using broad internal quality assurance procedures. New means of communication must meet the requirements in full, and existing ones are being successively reviewed and adapted.

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FS16 Initiatives to enhance financial literacy by type of beneficiary

Financial literacy and competence are key to Munich Re and our business. Our aim is to minimise the risk that clients will not understand our products and services or will be insufficiently informed about them, and so we organise initiatives and take part in activities designed to increase literacy and competence in this area.


MEAG belongs to Germany’s BVI Bundesverband Investment und Asset Management, which advocates giving prospective shareholders and stakeholders better information, launching for instance the “Hoch im Kurs” (“At a premium”) publication for schools in May 2006. The latest issue appeared in May 2010.

To promote awareness for mathematical – and thus also financial – issues and the enjoyment of this subject, Munich Re’s reinsurance and primary insurance business segments have sponsored the internet portals of the German (since 2001) and European (since 2009) Mathematical Societies. The core content of the European portal is currently defined by 14 project coordinators from across Europe and is updated on an ongoing basis. This international perspective on mathematics benefits all those interested or involved with the subject.

In keeping with our efforts to inform our clients and the public about socially innovative insurance projects in the countries and regions concerned, the Munich Re Foundation holds its annual International Microinsurance Conferences in different emerging and developing countries. This offers experts from the financial, public, private and development cooperation spheres a broad platform for sharing experiences and ideas on challenges in this sector. In addition Munich Re offers a scholarship programme for business clients in order to prepare them for challenges of the global insurance industry.

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*GC: Global Compact