Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
Our ESG Strategy
At Westerleigh Group, we’re committed to conducting our business in a responsible, sustainable and ethical way. Exceptional care is key to everything we do for our customers, our families and the communities that we serve. Our ESG work is a natural extension of this.
This means minimising our environmental impact, building an inclusive workplace, collaborating for good in the community, and operating within – or better still, exceeding industry standards in our ways of work.
In 2021, Westerleigh Group was the first cremation authority in the UK to officially adopt the new Environmental Policy Statement introduced by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA).
Our crematoria and cemeteries are designed with the local surroundings in mind, with a particular emphasis on the landscape to ensure that the buildings blend into their environment . We provide an atmosphere where families can grieve in peaceful surroundings and treasure the memory of their loved ones, amongst gardens, flowers and beauty. Ultimately, we are trying to establish a setting for funerals, green places of natural beauty where the bereaved leave with a sense of peace and calm.
Older cemeteries are treated with the same high regard and offer an urban oasis where history and heritage meet with local ecology and wildlife. Westerleigh understands how important it is to conserve these elements and create the right balance between respect for the dead and enriching a valuable resource for the living.
Our responsibility to minimise our impact on the environment has always been high on the agenda. In recent years, we’ve supported this with a programme of investment which allows us to; reduce our energy usage and carbon footprint, improve our impact on air quality, minimise waste and increase sustainable practice across the Group.
We have identified three key areas where we can make the most positive impact going forward:
Climate
- Reduction of energy usage & CO2 emissions - Achieving net zero by 2032
- Between 2018 - 2022, we reduced our carbon emissions by - 29%.
These gains were achieved through a proactive approach to energy efficiency across our portfolio combined with investment in new technology. We continue to upgrade our equipment - including cremators, lighting and boilers.
Our new sites are designed to support our net zero objectives; they feature the latest energy efficient equipment, including heat recovery and solar energy systems, building insulation and electrical charging points for vehicles.
Pollution
- By 2027, 100% of our sites will be mercury abated
- By 2032, 100% of our sites will be NOx abated
- In July 2024, 80% of our sites were already mercury abated and 25% of them were NOx abated
Reducing air pollution, with strong focus on mercury and nitrogen oxide abatement, is another key area we have been addressing. Since 2018, it’s been our policy to fit all new sites with NOx abatement - despite no regulatory requirement to do so.
Biodiversity
“Exceptional care in a beautiful setting, so families and friends can remember, mourn and celebrate the lives of their loved ones in a way that is uniquely personal.”
Our core purpose is testimony to the value that our peaceful and attractive grounds provide at over 40 locations and communities across the UK. Our portfolio of sites exceeds more than 800 acres of land.
We’re aware that with careful and thoughtful management, our considerable land resources can make a positive contribution to local flora, fauna and the current biodiversity crisis. In recent years, we have created new areas of woodland, wildflower meadows and new wildlife habitats across our estate. Beehives and bug hotels have also been introduced at some locations.
Our crematoria grounds have been surveyed, with customised site management plans now in place, to enhance biodiversity throughout the year. Our next step is the baseline measurement of tree stock and biodiversity at local sites. This will enable a more strategic approach to new tree, woodland and hedgerow establishment to maximise biodiversity and carbon offsetting.
Sustainability
Reducing waste and increasing recycling has long been a strong focus for us. Our metal recycling process has raised over 2 million in the last 4 years, money which are being shared amongst various local and national charities, community organisations and environmental projects. You can find out more here.
Our core purpose is testimony to the value that our peaceful and attractive grounds provide at over 40 locations and communities across the UK. Our portfolio of sites exceeds more than 800 acres of land.
At the same time, we are also switching to alternative sustainable suppliers and equipment where possible across our value chain. This includes a strong focus on the availability of sustainable and UK sourced memorial products for our eco-conscious customers. Our new sites at Arun and Herne Bay were the first to have 100% of its memorial product range sourced within the UK. Wider progress has included the introduction of Vegan Memorial books and a recycled Corten Steel tree made in Hull.
Social
Our colleagues are key to the exceptional care that we provide to our customers and the communities that we serve.
Our colleague survey last year featured an engagement score of over 80%.
We also recently published our Group Gender Pay Gap report, which went beyond regulatory requirements and featured results well above the UK average.
Our colleagues have chosen Dementia UK as our corporate charity partner and together, we raised over £140,000 for them in 2023, whilst also actively supporting a range of other national and local charities. Find out about our community work here.
Governance
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional care to the bereaved, the standards of which are regularly inspected by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA) in England and Wales and the Scottish Government.
We are also an associate member of the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), a supplier member the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and a member of the Funeral Suppliers’ Association (FSA).
Our colleagues also receive regular compliance and safety training on all regulatory requirements and are trained with oversight from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM).
