Goods in transit insurance has a long tradition. The first contracts appeared in ancient Greece and even the Antiquity. With the establishment of the Lloyds of London as insurance market in the 17th century, a continuous development of an insurance practice took place. At the same time, the development of global trade took pace and other modes of transports were introduced over the years. Today still 90% of the tonnage of all goods moved worldwide, is transported via the world’s oceans. Therefore, all parties to the international carriage of goods have a historically founded future responsibility to protect global nature.

In order to meet its responsibility and to encourage as many followers as possible, NACORA International Insurance Brokers, (www.nacora.com), an insurance group belonging to the Kuehne + Nagel Group and headquartered in Schindellegi near Zurich, Switzerland, is introducing the first model for the preservation of maritime habitats. In the year of the company’s 50th anniversary, this is exactly the right thing to do and we hope to ignite global interest by setting this example, says NACORA’s Group Managing Director, Mr Steffen Bergholz.

As a global specialist provider of cargo insurance, NACORA have developed with its long-standing business partners Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. and AXA XL a cargo insurance product, that will support projects for the conservation of marine mega fauna. In over 50 countries, each cargo insurance certificate placed by NACORA or its digital booking system “e-insurance”, will support the US based Non-Profit Organisation “The Marine Megafauna Foundation” (MMF).

This NACORA initiative meets strong commitment and involvement of all the partners of the logistics ecosystem, i.e. shippers who consciously choose sustainable insurance when booking their freight with the leading logistics service provider Kuehne + Nagel.

Otto Schacht, Executive Vice President Sea Logistics at Kuehne + Nagel stated that this sustainable cargo insurance product placement perfectly complements its services offering, allowing all parties to the contract of carriage to restore and protect nature. The Cargo Insurance Product is underwritten by excellent financially rated global insurance companies Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. and AXA XL.

With this model, NACORA and the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) are substantially increasing corporate funding to the MMF in order to support local marine conservation projects in Mozambique, Indonesia and Florida.

We areconvinced that this model of conscious corporate participation in the restoration, protection of marine species, the enhancement of the resistance of the maritime flora and fauna finds many corporate followers to restore our oceans.

We believe that every service, every product, every business can actively help to restore nature involving local development projects that go far beyond CO2 neutrality targets. Such development will ensure that future generations can still enjoy and experience flora and fauna as we know it today in the future. All this can be achieved without a burden to consumers or companies. We call this “True Corporate Nature Responsibility”.

NACORA supports the Marine Megafauna Foundation in local projects against overfishing and dangerous fishing practices, for the reduction of plastic pollution in the sea and in research on marine habitats and large animals to improve the resilience of these ecosystems.

The Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) (www.marinemegafauna.org) is an organization dedicated to ‘Saving Ocean Giants from Extinction’. The MMF’s main targets are safeguarding marine biodiversity (and in particular protecting endangered marine megafauna populations), creating or expanding key marine protected areas (MPAs) and educating and integrating local communities and stakeholders into our conservation mission.

It launched its first operation in Mozambique in 2003. Since 2012 it is registered as an international charity organization in California, USA. Its main goal is to develop enduring conservation solutions from pioneering research. It uses multi-disciplinary scientific approaches and cutting-edge technologies combined with creative fieldwork techniques and their teams are gathering in-depth information on vulnerable marine species from manta rays to whale sharks in some of their most important critical habitats on earth.

The MMF organization was founded on the belief that passion and sustained effort lead to action and permanent change. As conservation biologists, their mantra is simple, ‘think globally but act locally’. To this end, its scientists continue to champion international protection, but in the countries they work. It targets lasting change on small scales. The MMF is becoming known for pursuing ambitious case studies in developing nations. It aims to both set valuable precedents for the successful management of marine wildlife worldwide and inspire a new breed of conservation biologists to get the job done.

Fundamentally, the MMF strongly believe in the empowerment and inclusion of nationals from the countries they work with and locals from the regions where its projects are based. Far too often, foreigners spearhead efforts that fall short for the simple reason that their approach did not include the education or support of local communities, take into consideration local culture or traditions or failed to develop training programs to build capacity for future efforts. MMF’s well-rounded, highly qualified teams reflect this belief and give us the knowledge, expertise and local support to create lasting change.