Munich Re Foundation

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The Munich Re Foundation began its work on April 7, 2005 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Munich Reinsurance Company . The non-profit foundation has endowment capital of 50 million euros. The aim is to translate the founder's knowledge into action, which is expressed in the foundation's motto “from knowledge to action”. The Munich Re Foundation is involved in the areas of population development, environmental and climate change, disaster risk reduction and the fight against poverty. The foundation's primary concern is to develop solutions for people with risks from these areas. Against this background, the foundation is active with national and international project partners, 80 percent of the projects are dedicated to global issues.

Fields of action and projects

The work of the Munich Re Foundation moves in four areas. These are briefly presented using projects as examples.

Knowledge building and implementation

The foundation supports the creation of publications financially and in terms of content and promotes research projects as well as training and further education.

Projects:

  • “Summer Academy on Social Vulnerability” at Hohenkammer Castle : every year, young scientists and experts from all over the world and from various disciplines come together here. They exchange research results on topics such as "Environmentally-Related Migration", "The Water Challenge" or "Toggle Switches in Humanitarian Crises". The results will be published.
  • Chair for “Social Vulnerability” at the Institute for Environment and Human Security at the University of the United Nations in Bonn. In order to promote research in the area of ​​social vulnerability, the foundation has financed this chair since 2005.
  • Climate change and justice: Misereor and the Munich Re Foundation as clients, together with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Institute for Social Policy at the University of Philosophy in Munich (IGP), are investigating how in the context of international climate negotiations ( UNFCC , COPs ), an acceptable global energy path that curbs dangerous climate change and at the same time does not hinder development in poor countries.

Education and awareness

The Munich Re Foundation promotes public access to information through dialogue and communication, the provision of publications and materials, and the organization of training courses and seminars.

Projects:

  • Dialogue forums in Munich: At public events in Munich, experts discuss current issues of a global dimension with the audience, e.g. B. Resource scarcity, climate change or poverty.
    • World in Transition - The Forgotten Billions (2009/2010)
    • Resources - Where is the journey going (2008/2009)
    • Munich 2030 - A look into the future (2007/08)
    • The Risks of Munich (2006/07)
    • Myth and natural force of water (2005/2006)
  • Funding of school and educational projects:
    • Climate expedition for schoolchildren; Organization: Germanwatch, Geoscopia
  • School competitions
    • In 2007, the Munich Re Foundation and Zeitbild Verlag initiated the “go! Clean” competition under the patronage of Sigmar Gabriel. Young people develop business ideas for the environment.
    • The Munich Re Foundation financed a special prize in the nationwide competition "Youth with Infinite Energy - Protect the Climate!", Initiated by the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) in 2005.

Networking

The foundation supports the networking of experts and the coupling of specialist knowledge. She is a member of committees and initiatives.

Projects:

  • Organization of the International Microinsurance Conference
    • 2009 in Dakar, Senegal
    • 2008 Cartagena, Colombia
    • 2007 Mumbai, India
    • 2006 Cape Town, South Africa
    • 2005 Hohenkammer, Germany
  • Co-editor of the first compendium on microinsurance
  • Founding member of the “Climate Change, Environment and Migration Alliance” - CCEMA (2008), together with UNEP , IOM and the Institute for Environment and Human Security at the University of the United Nations (UNU-EHS).

Direct help and support

The foundation supports local projects in developing countries.

Projects:

  • Support for the development of early flood warning systems on the Búzi (2007) and Save (2008) rivers in Mozambique, together with GTZ.
  • Immediate financial aid for the aid organization arche noVa after cyclone “Nargis” in Myanmar in May 2008.
  • Support for the “Fog nets in Eritrea” project. Special collectors, so-called fog nets, harvest fog in the Asmara highlands in order to generate drinking water.
  • In 2006, a foundation prize worth € 50,000 was awarded for the implementation of an early warning system on Tonga and to finance the connection of the island state to the Pacific data system RANET.
  • Financial support from THW for the provision of winter-proof tents and drinking water emergency kits after the earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan on October 8, 2005.

Board of Trustees

Current members of the Board of Trustees include Gerhard Berz , Nikolaus von Bomhard and Hartmut Graßl . The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Hans-Jürgen Schinzler , Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Munich Reinsurance Company.

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