The Environment, a Message from our President

Back in March this year I attended a joint conference which was firmly focused on the environmental agenda, particularly the impact of funerals on the environment. In closing the seminar, I said “the environmental challenge is leading to a significant change in our sector, if you haven’t considered changing you are now being left behind”. We are now seven months further down the line and we have seen the emergence of so much more information regarding the impact of funerals on the environment, the pace of change is relentless.

At our conference in June, we reaffirmed our commitment to lead our sector by conducting a series of regional environmental seminars the first of which is in Glasgow on the 10th of November. We have a duty to change what we are doing, be that using the new technology to minimise the impact of cremation & burial, considering using mitigating measures once the more traditional disposal has been completed or using the emerging technology that allows for a different style of disposal.

All this leads back to the statement in March, we can’t continue to damage the planet with the funerary process. We have a moral responsibility to change and that can start by adopting the FBCA environmental policy and investigating the use of better ways of working that enhance the environment rather than damaging it.

Michael Birkinshaw
President