Environmental indicators

As a financial services provider, Munich Re only has a small environmental footprint compared with that of manufacturing companies. Nevertheless, we are working continuously to minimise our emissions and consumption of resources.

In our reporting on our emissions and consumption of resources, we focus on the main environmental impacts for a financial services provider, namely our consumption of paper, energy and water, the waste we produce, the number of business trips undertaken and our greenhouse gases emissions. The list is constantly being extended and improved to cover additional items and a greater percentage of our staff but, as a result of this broader and enhanced statistical base, the occasional “blip” occurs in the time series.

The number of staff employed at Munich Re has increased significantly in the last few years. However, although more staff are now included in the records, the percentage captured has fallen. The same applies to the percentage of staff included in our certified environmental management systems.

Munich Re is continually improving its method of recording in order to be in a position even to correct figures from previous years, which explains any changes made to earlier reports.