German state and insurer team to map urban heat risks

North Rhine-Westphalia and Zurich Insurance have launched a partnership to address urban heat risks, combining climate expertise with local policy planning. The collaboration aims to apply Zurich’s risk-assessment methods, already used in Madrid and Camden, London, to Cologne, Germany’s largest city, to identify vulnerable areas and prioritize heat-mitigation measures.

The initiative marks the first time a German state ministry has partnered with an insurer to develop actionable climate recommendations. Petra Riga-Müller, head of commercial insurance for Zurich in Germany, emphasized the company’s experience in mapping climate risks for industrial and infrastructure clients. “Our methodology helps companies visualise climate-related risks, such as extreme heat, identify particularly vulnerable sites, and prioritise measures. This exact approach can also be applied to urban areas,” she said. The approach will now extend to urban planning, where data on heat exposure already exists but lacks clear implementation strategies.

Heatwaves are the deadliest form of extreme weather in Europe, responsible for 95% of fatalities linked to such events, according to the European Environment Agency. Between 1980 and 2024, extreme weather caused 441,000 deaths across the continent. In Germany alone, heat-related deaths surged to 7,600 in 2023, and by late July this year, the Robert Koch Institute had recorded 11,900 such fatalities. The economic toll is equally severe: the Lancet Countdown 2025 estimates heat exposure cost the global economy $1.09 trillion in lost productivity in 2024.

While the partnership focuses on Cologne, its methods could serve as a model for other German cities. The state ministry’s Ina Scharrenbach highlighted the gap between available climate data and practical solutions. “We want to pilot this method in North Rhine-Westphalia to gain experience for future initiatives. It involves the targeted identification of locations particularly affected by heat, combined with concrete adaptation measures and a roadmap for prioritising actions. After all, while the data is already available, the knowledge of how to translate that data into targeted action represents a completely new approach,” she said. The project will map heat hotspots, assess infrastructure risks, and create a prioritized roadmap for interventions like green spaces or cooling infrastructure.

Zurich’s involvement reflects a broader trend: insurers are increasingly positioning themselves as advisors on climate resilience. The company’s Zurich Resilience Solutions team, which has worked with industrial clients to mitigate risks, will now adapt its tools for municipal use. Riga-Müller added: “I am very much looking forward to collaborating with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and to working together with our Zurich Resilience Solutions Team to drive new momentum for greater climate resilience in urban development and city planning across Germany.” The pilot in North Rhine-Westphalia could influence future state policies, particularly as heatwaves intensify.