Three priorities for a transformation towards sustainability
The Allianz Foundation is committed to safeguarding the living conditions of future generations. To achieve this, we support a transformation towards sustainability that protects the planet’s nature and environment, promotes participation and equal opportunities for all, and strengthens diverse and resilient societies. We direct our efforts toward areas where our support can contribute to meaningful and lasting change.
Our funding priorities are Sustainable Cities, Trustworthy Information and Socially Engaged Arts. These interconnected fields represent key leverage points for fostering resilient communities, strengthening democratic discourse, and enabling cultural participation and dialogue.
Each priority guides how we collaborate with partners, develop initiatives, and allocate resources. Together, they form the foundation of our approach to advancing a more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable future.
Sustainable cities: where transformation happens
In Europe, around 75% of people live in urban areas. This makes cities critical arenas for shaping a more sustainable future. They account for around 70% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through buildings and infrastructure. .
The Allianz Foundation addresses these challenges by supporting approaches that are both regenerative and inclusive.
Our aim is to reduce environmental and climate impact while ensuring fair access to housing and urban resources. This includes:
- developing or scaling transformative urban development strategies for people and nature
- developing new models for the integration of environmental and social aspects in the built environment, especially in the housing sector.
- promoting renovation over demolition, regenerative building materials and the circular use of materials
- supporting affordable and sustainable urban land use
By connecting decision-makers, communities and practitioners, this focus area positions cities as places where transformation can take root and scale.
Trustworthy information: enabling informed societies
Political, economic and personal decisions depend on reliable knowledge and shared facts. Yet the conditions for producing and accessing trustworthy information are under strain. Media business models are under pressure. Disinformation continues to distort public debate and the platform algorithms reward outrage and emotions and not rationality and reasoning. At the same time, new technologies are increasing the volume of information, making it harder to distinguish what is reliable and what is not.
As trust in information erodes, so too does trust in institutions and in each other. This weakens democratic processes and makes collective action more difficult.
The Foundation responds by strengthening the ecosystem of public interest information, such as media organisations, content creators, civil society organisations and scientific actors. Key areas of work include:
- developing sustainable and innovative media models
- supporting independent journalism and public interest information that leads to impact
- encouraging new formats and dissemination channels
- fostering collaboration across sectors
We recognise that trustworthy information is not limited to traditional newsrooms. It can also emerge from collaborations that bring together different forms of knowledge and expertise, e.g. between journalists and news creators.
Socially engaged arts: imagining new future
Transformation is not only driven by data and policy. It is also shaped by how we imagine the future, and how we engage communities in creating it. Socially engaged arts approaches social and environmental challenges through creativity and participation.
Across Europe, the cultural sector is facing increasing pressure. Art remains a powerful space for dialogue, experimentation and collective reflection. It can make complex issues tangible and open up new perspectives. This focus area supports:
- work addressing social and ecological challenges
- projects that foster participation and co-creation
- artistic initiatives applying their methods in other contexts
- efforts that strengthen the resilience of cultural actors
Socially engaged arts allow for exploration and unexpected outcomes. This can reveal new insights and inspire alternative approaches to sustainability.
