Munich Re pulls back from insuring new energy projects

(Reuters) – Munich Reinsurance Co., the world's largest reinsurer, on Thursday announced stricter policies for investing in and underwriting oil and gas projects, drawing praise from environmental activists.

The German reinsurer said on its website that as of April 2023 it would not invest or insure projects involving new oil and gas fields or new midstream oil infrastructure.

Insurers have over the past few years tightened underwriting and investment policies to exclude some polluting industries from their business, but they have at times fallen short of activists’ demands.

More stringent policies have tended to focus primarily on coal, while oil and gas policies have lagged.

The Insure Our Future campaign said Munich Re's move was “a significant step and a clear signal to the global insurance market.”