3. Good health and well-being

•   Instructional video for filling article per product group available

•   Plan of action for instructional videos for new products

The Global Products Group offers a wide range of memory products, varying in material, shape and application. There is also considerable variety in terms of filling and sealing techniques. Some are straightforward to use, while others necessitate a greater degree of handling or attention. As the correct application of ash-containing items is ultimately the responsibility of the customer, it is vital that we provide clear instructions on how to properly fill these products. In 2024, the coverage rate of instructional videos on ash-containing articles was 68.2%. Therefore, in 2025, we are once again aiming to provide 100% of these products with instructional videos on the product pages of our websites, specifically tailored to the closing system for each product group. By taking this approach, we are able to provide support not only to our customers but also to their families and relatives, ensuring correct usage and enhancing accessibility to this information.

To ensure high coverage of instructional videos also in the future, a plan of action will be drawn up in 2025 in which the development of instructional videos will be included as a permanent part of the standard work process when introducing new ash-containing products. By structurally integrating this into the development and launch process, we aim to provide clear user instructions immediately in future product expansions as well. This should result in the 100% coverage rate being maintained, or very close to it.

7. Affordable and clean energy

•   Achieve a 5% reduction in energy consumption

After the positive results in 2023, the Global Products Group will take the next step in making its operations more sustainable in 2025. We aim to achieve an additional 5% energy savings in gas, water and electricity consumption compared to the year 2024. This target is in line with our broader ambition to contribute structurally and measurably to a lower environmental impact. In order to achieve these savings, various initiatives are being deployed. These include the further optimisation of climate systems, such as more accurately matching heating and ventilation to the intensity of use of rooms. We are also considering the replacement of existing lighting with more economical alternatives. Furthermore, we are committed to raising awareness among employees. To this end, we have implemented various measures, including internal communication and the provision of practical tips for limiting energy consumption in daily activities.

As an additional measure, in 2025 we will investigate the possibilities of switching to a supplier of green power instead of so-called grey power. By doing so, we want to further reduce CO₂ emissions and reduce our carbon footprint, including the origin of our purchased energy. By structurally integrating these measures into our internal processes and daily routines, we aim not only to reduce energy consumption, but also to further increase employee involvement in our sustainability goals.

8. Decent work and economic growth

•   75% of suppliers are located in Europe

•   2 new completed SMETA 4-pillar audits for proof of intent statements

•   3 Year plan SMETA 4-pillar audits for proof of intent statements

•   No child labour in the supply chain

•   No forced labour in the supply chain

This year again, the Global Products Group remains committed to a supplier network with a strong European base. We are adopting a target for this year where at least 75% of our suppliers are located within Europe. This adjusted target, 5% lower than in 2024, takes into account recent market developments and the broadening of our supplier base within the wholesale function. Due to the addition of new categories, such as sub-products, complementary solutions and a deepened assortment at existing suppliers, a percentage increase within the calendar year is not a realistic or representative target. The Global Products Group does not limit its scope solely to supplier location, but also looks at the product level to see if substitutes from the collection within Europe can be produced from more sustainable raw materials, thus cutting both ways. At the same time, we remain committed to reducing transport miles, shortening delivery times and reducing CO₂ emissions, with European sourcing remaining an important starting point. The adjusted target reflects realistic growth within a changing operational context.

In 2025, the Global Products Group continues its commitment to ethical and responsible supply chain management by conducting two new full SMETA 4-pillar audits of suppliers with production sites in high-risk countries. These audits are an important follow-up to the previously signed letters of intent and are intended to provide evidence that suppliers not only formally endorse our standards, but actually comply with them. The SMETA 4-pillar audit is an internationally recognised audit standard that tests suppliers on four themes: Labor Standards, Health & Safety, Environmental Management and Business Ethics. It is an in-depth assessment tool that provides insight into actual practices at production sites and helps to identify and address risks. Based on experience in 2024, we are sharpening our approach. For example, we are focusing on early planning, better coordination with external auditors and clear communication about documentation requirements. At the same time, we are investigating how we can structurally anchor this audit process in our working method. In this way, we can, as far as possible, maintain control and avoid potential threats more easily. By continuing to focus on suppliers in countries with a low CPI score (<60), we continue to steer corporate social responsibility where the risk is greatest.

In 2025, the Global Products Group formulates a multi-year audit plan for the next three years, specifically targeting suppliers with production sites in high-risk countries (CPI score <60). With this plan, we aim to achieve a structured, predictable and risk-driven approach to conducting SMETA 4-pillar audits within our supply chain. The establishment of a multi-year audit planning allows us to better prioritise, use available resources more efficiently and systematically track progress in sustainability and compliance. This strategic planning ensures continuity in our due diligence activities and prevents reactive or spontaneous decision-making when selecting suppliers for audits. At the same time, it promotes transparency towards internal and external stakeholders, and supports chain supervision for the further future. The development of this plan is thus an important step in the further professionalisation and deepening of the Global Products Group’s CSR policy.

The Global Products Group will continue its efforts to structurally eliminate child and forced labour throughout the value chain by 2025. We are formulating an explicit goal this year to have signed and documented behavioural documents (Code of Conduct, Modern Slavery Statement and Supplier Environmental Code) from all active suppliers, regardless of country of establishment. This will strengthen our commitment to due diligence and human rights, and increase our monitoring of compliance with core labour standards within the chain.

The dynamics of the international risk landscape, as visible in the CSR Risk Checker, shows that even countries previously considered ‘low risk’ can still develop relevant risks. By testing all suppliers against the same social behaviour standards from now on, we continue to build a future-proof and uniform approach. This broad approach makes it possible to intervene more quickly in the event of signals of abuses and is an important step towards a fully responsible chain free of child labour, forced labour or human trafficking.

10. Reduced inequalities

•   100% coverage rate Suppliers Environmental Code at suppliers

By 2025, Global Products Group aims to achieve a full signatory rate (100%) to the Suppliers Environmental Code behaviour document by all active suppliers, regardless of product type, at-risk country status or location of establishment. This document is an important foundation for our sustainability strategy and contains guidelines for environmental responsibility, working conditions and respect for the rights of local people. This uniform basis allows us to set clear expectations and make timely adjustments if deviations are identified. Experience from 2024 shows that expanding our due diligence efforts, including the inclusion of partial-product suppliers, is necessary to ensure a robust and future-proof chain. Therefore, in 2025 we will take concrete steps to embed the SEC document even deeper into the supplier process. With this approach, we aim not only to achieve higher coverage, but also to increase supplier awareness and engagement around environmental and human rights issues.

12. Responsible consumption and production

•   Apply Life Cycle Analysis to five new product groups

•   Implementing sustainable solution for packaging outbound deliveries

•   75% of the biodegradable collection is GreenLeave-certified

After the initial implementation of the LCA model in 2023 and its practical application to four product groups in 2024, in 2025 the Global Products Group will focus on conducting life-cycle analyses for five additional product groups. An LCA is a powerful tool that measures the entire environmental impact of a product: from raw material extraction to waste disposal. By understanding the environmental impact at each stage of the life cycle, informed choices can be made in terms of design, material use and production process.

The lessons learned in recent years, including coordination with suppliers, improving data collection and dealing with language and knowledge barriers, will be actively incorporated into the 2025 rollout. By investing in guidance and knowledge sharing with chain partners, we are increasing support and accelerating the feasibility of the model. This will create a solid basis for structural sustainability of our product developments. The application of the LCA methodology also meets the increasing demand for transparency, measurable environmental claims and reliable sustainability data within the funeral industry and beyond.

In 2025, the Global Products Group will take an important step toward making its packaging policy more sustainable by structurally implementing at least one sustainable packaging solution in its outbound deliveries. Using the successfully completed research in 2024 as a basis, the emphasis in 2025 will be on applying a proven solution in practice. These include packaging with integrated protection or the use of environmentally friendly materials. In collaboration with internal departments, packaging specialists and suppliers, this solution will be optimised and embedded in the operational processes, as a first concrete step toward broader sustainable innovation within the sector. Implementing a sustainable packaging solution is key to reducing the environmental footprint of our logistics chain and responds to growing expectations around corporate responsibility.

In 2025, the Global Products Group remains committed to increasing transparency and sustainability within its range of biodegradable urns. Despite not fully achieving the certification target in 2024 on paper, the actual sustainability of the collection is more widely represented than the figure suggests. Therefore, we are continuing our effort unabated to still have 75% of our biodegradable collection officially certified to the GreenLeave standard by 2025. This goal is important because the label provides relatives with clear and independent information about sustainable product choices. Thereby, Dutch GreenLeave remains the recognised platform within the funeral industry for bundling and highlighting responsible alternatives. We are confident that the adjustments GreenLeave made in 2024 around establishing a new zero point will contribute to a smoother and more efficient assessment of certification applications in 2025. This expectation is reinforced by our own optimised preparation, closer coordination and more proactive follow-up from the Global Products Group. In this way, we hope not only to increase certification rates, but also to strengthen and increase awareness around sustainable funeral options among business owners and bereaved families.

13. Climate action

•   CO₂ reduction of 25% on incoming deliveries

•   Offsetting CO₂ emissions from incoming deliveries

•   Understanding CO₂ emissions from outgoing deliveries

•   Reduction in residual waste of 10%

With renewed focus on impact and efficiency, this year Global Products Group is targeting a structural reduction of 25% in CO₂ emissions from inbound deliveries by 2024. The insights we have gained over the past year, such as the effect of air freight on our CO₂ balance, underline the importance of structural choices. Therefore, this year we are actively pursuing the implementation of optimised planning and forecasting processes so that shipments can be scheduled in a more timely and sustainable manner. We want to significantly reduce the use of air transport in favour of less polluting modalities such as transport by boat or truck. We remain in dialogue with our suppliers to strengthen cooperation on sustainable transport in our logistics chain. By balancing reliability and sustainability, we are taking a powerful step towards reducing our ecological footprint, without making concessions to the security of supply of emotionally valuable products.

In addition, Global Products Group is committed to offsetting CO₂ emissions from its business activities by 2025. While the initial focus is on offsetting incoming deliveries, our approach extends further. We are systematically mapping our emissions based on internationally applied scopes. In addition to Scope 3 components, such as transportation from production sites to company locations and business travel, we also focus on offsetting emissions from Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from energy consumption). The data collected is compiled in a CO₂ dashboard that provides insight into transport types, emissions per supplier and total chain emissions, among other things. Following a thorough evaluation of the available data, we have concluded that we should continue to offset our CO₂ emissions through the Trees for All foundation, also by providing ongoing support for sustainable reforestation projects worldwide.

In order to fully understand our ecological impact, Global Products Group is firmly committed to further developing a CO₂ dashboard for outgoing deliveries in 2025. Whereas in 2024 an action plan was already drawn up and the necessary data streams identified, in 2025 the focus will be on concretely collecting, structuring and analysing this data. The ultimate goal is to establish a reliable zero point that serves as a basis for future mitigation and compensation strategies. In particular, the challenge lies in the wide variety of shipping locations, transport partners and delivery volumes. Through close cooperation with logistics service providers and further refinement of our internal systems, we aim to capture this complexity. Transparency in the entire logistics chain enables us to make better choices and contribute to structural emission reduction. Setting up this CO₂ dashboard is therefore an important step in making our business operations more sustainable.

In 2025, Global Products Group will focus on further reducing residual waste, aiming for a 10% reduction compared to 2024. The initiated line of specific waste separation will be continued and refined. By weighing individual waste streams, including paper, PD, plastic strapping tape and polystyrene foam, more insight is gained into the composition and volume of the waste, enabling us to target reductions more effectively. We are also investigating the possibilities of making even more material streams reusable or recyclable, so that the residual fraction is further reduced structurally. The cooperation with waste processing company Van Happen, certified according to the CSR Performance Ladder, remains a valuable link in this process. Joint ambitions create a reliable basis for sustainable waste processing. The combination of measurability, awareness and cooperation enables us to increasingly apply our circular principles within our business operations.

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

•   100% coverage rate Code of Conduct at suppliers

Corruption in the supply chain continues to be a priority area for Global Products Group’s CSR policy. In 2025, we will build on the steps taken in 2024 by focusing on achieving full (100%) coverage of the Code of Conduct among all of our suppliers’ production sites. This continues to focus not only on suppliers in high-risk countries, but also on production sites in low-risk countries and of subcomponent suppliers. By signing our Code of Conduct, we set clear standards for ethical business practices, actively helping to prevent corruption. In 2025, we will intensify communication with suppliers and monitor progress at production sites in countries with an increased risk of corruption through the SMETA 4-pillar audit programme. For this purpose, we define a high-risk country using the annual Corruption Perceptions Index18 of Transparency International; countries with a low score on this index are considered at increased risk. This is consistent with our goal of a transparent, honest and responsible supply chain. We approach this matter methodically, with the objective of ensuring that our principles of conduct are fully secured at every stage of the process.