FAQs

The Greener Globe Funeral Standard is a Sustainability Audit scheme designed to raise awareness of environmental issues in the funeral sector and, as a result, promote more sustainable working.

It achieves this by supporting businesses in both the private and public sectors as they embark on their environmental journeys.

The Greener Globe Funeral Standard recognises that there are many different forms of cemetery and burial ground. These range from large traditional cemeteries with facilities, for example offices, chapel, toilets, catering etc, to natural burial grounds whose impact on the environment is restricted to grave digging, grounds maintenance and memorialisation. To meet the needs of both groups we have developed two distinct audits reflecting the range of services provided. The Burial Ground Audit covers the core areas of service delivery, this is ideal for natural burial grounds and the smaller cemeteries operated by Town Councils, whilst the Cemetery Audit includes further questions relating to  buildings for toilets/offices/ceremony halls.

• The Bronze Award requires the business to have already adopted an environmental policy or adopt our own ‘Trusted Environmental Policy’.   
• Having demonstrated your commitment to the environment you are now able to move on to the next step, completing the sustainability questionnaire online.
  The Audit looks at the different areas of your business 
• By completing our online audit, you will achieve Silver or even Gold or Platinum Awards, depending on your score.
• Achieving up to 60% of the available marks results in the company receiving the Silver Award.
• Achieving 61% - 80% of the available marks results in the company receiving the Gold Award.
• Achieving more than 80% of the available marks results in the company receiving the Platinum Award.

An environmental policy is a commitment by a business to minimise harms to the environment. It sets out how and in what areas the business will reduce its impact on the environment.

Having an environmental policy, which must be clearly supported by senior management and articulated throughout the workforce, highlights a business’ commitment to sustainability.

Becoming sustainable, in simple terms, is about being able to meet the needs of the present without compromising the future. Using just enough and not being wasteful. Most businesses will understand that being sustainable, in these terms, is a good thing, as it can reduce energy costs, improve efficiency, lower their business’ carbon footprint, engage staff and enhance their reputation.

Working in a business every day can make it difficult to identify areas of good practice and where improvements can be made. This is where the SAQ comes in. It takes a closer look at every part of your business, allowing you to identify opportunities to make it more sustainable.

No, the process itself isn’t complicated, however, checking how the business is operating is something that often gets forgotten about amidst the day-to-day challenges. The SAQ is completed online, with questions covering all areas of the business in order to identify the items that may have the most environmental impact. Areas covered include both generic and sector specific environmental impacts, taking in parts of the business which are easily overlooked. Identifying problems also creates opportunities for improvement.

The Awards are based on each property from which your business operates.  Our awards consider the environmental impact of each property together with the environmental aspect scores for the operational functions of your business. Funeral Directors, Suppliers and Crematoria, Cemeteries and Burial Grounds each have their own unique audit, designed specifically to cover each aspect of their business  

Some Funeral Directors and Suppliers will have primary/head office addresses, on which the awards will be based, along with small ‘Branch Offices’ to enable arrangements/sales to be made locally. In these cases, there is only a small administration fee to issue your additional premises with an award. This award will mirror the award for your primary premises, which must be attained first. Good News! You will not need to complete the Sustainability Audit for each one of these smaller premises.

Your Greener Globe Funeral Standard Registration is on annual basis and commences when your application and payment is made.   We recognise that businesses are very busy, therefore there is no time limit within the 12 months in submitting the Environmental Audit. Once this is received, and all responses have been given, with required evidence to satisfy our auditors, you will earn your award. Your award will remain until your registration renewal date.

No, there’s no need to go through the full process every year. We have made renewing your award and account very simple to complete. Log onto your dashboard to pay your annual registration fee by card payment or, if you prefer, request an invoice. If you want, you can complete your Sustainability Audit again, so that your environmental aspect score will reflect any sustainability improvements you have made. Alternatively, if it is less than 4 years since your last audit, you can complete the Audit Waiver declaration. The declaration confirms there have been no material changes which could impact your award. Once your annual registration fee has been received, together with your completed sustainability audit or declaration, we will update your award on our website.

We recognise how busy everyone is and for that reason our Environmental Sustainability Audit and gathering your supportive evidence can be completed online and there is no strict time limit.  It does not have to be all done in one go, the information you have entered can be saved ready for when you next log on.  Like with most things we do, it is fair to say that the more time and effort you put into completing the Audit, the more benefits you will gain.

Once you have completed our Environmental Sustainability Audit and our assessors are satisfied, with your answers and documentary evidence, not only will you be issued with your appropriate Achievement Award, you will be issued with your own bespoke Improvement Plan to help you on your journey. It is also fair to say that once you have addressed our questions and gathered the supporting information you will have all your ducks in a row should you wish to take the next step and pursue the ISO 14001.

Our unique Wesh Slate Awards are sent to our elite Gold and Platinum Award Holders free of charge.  Each slate award is individually engraved and depicts the Greener Globe Logo, the name of the Awardee and the level of the Award.  For funeral directors/suppliers who have registered a smaller additional premises,which automatically receives the same level of award as their primary premises, additional engraved slates can be purchased if required.  Bronze and Silver Award holders may also purchase Slate Awards.  The cost of each Welsh Slate Award to equal £132 to include engraving and postage.

Here are a couple of easy suggestions on how to evidence your staff are aware of your environmental policy:

• You could put your policy on a wall at your premises and then take a photograph of it on your phone.  Then upload onto your GGFS submission
• You could hold a meeting and show in the minutes that the environmental policy has been adopted, naming those present at the meeting
• You could include your Environmental Policy in you induction process and send an email to all your staff, confirming the adoption of your policy, and then upload to your GGFS submission, showing the names it had gone to.
• If only a small business, you could ask all employees to sign a document, to say they had read and understood the policy

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