Climate Change Data

Full Circle Funerals

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2022, 2023)

Reporting Period: 2022

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:400kg CO2e/funeral (estimated)

ESG Focus Areas

  • Climate Change

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 (UK Government target)

Environmental Challenges

  • Lack of information and support for the funeral industry to understand and reduce its carbon footprint.
  • Use of unsustainable materials in coffin manufacturing (hardwoods, metals, plastics).
  • High carbon emissions from natural gas cremation.
  • Lack of data on the environmental impact of chemicals used in Resomation and effluent disposal.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis of coffin manufacturing and body disposal methods.
  • Recommendations for regulatory intervention to decarbonize the industry.
  • Identification of more sustainable coffin options.
  • Advocating for the phasing out of natural gas flame cremation and the use of chipboard coffins.
  • Encouraging the use of renewable energy sources for cremation.
  • Promoting further research on the environmental impact of cremation and Resomation.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement
  • Recommendations for using sustainable materials in coffin manufacturing.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities
  • Development of sustainable alternatives for cremation and burial.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Goal 13 (Climate Action)

Reducing carbon emissions from the funeral industry.

Reporting Period: 2023

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

  • Climate Change

Environmental Achievements

  • Provided data to quantify carbon emissions associated with different funeral options in the UK.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

  • Limited data available in public domain on carbon emissions associated with funeral practices.
  • Scope and finances of the project imposed limitations on the number of scenarios analyzed.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Used available data from LCA databases such as Ecoinvent and BEIS.
  • Recommended a second phase of research to include other aspects like funeral arrangements and transportation.

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GHG Protocol