New Report: Consumers Turn to Government and Industry to Lead Efforts on Growing Environmental Concerns

Washington, D.C. - Today, UL Standards & Engagement released a report detailing the growing concern among consumers about the environment and natural resources. The report shows that while consumers are concerned about the state of the environment, most want to see industry and advocacy groups champion sustainability efforts and play a larger role in the clean energy transition.  

A growing desire for industry leadership on the energy transition is also apparent. UL Standards & Engagement has committed to deepening and broadening its portfolio of more than 1,000 standards to support sustainability efforts — from clean energy generation to sustainable manufacturing and recycling. 

"Consumers are increasingly aware of environmental concerns,” said Sayon Deb, director of primary insights at UL Standards & Engagement. "However, confusion has grown among consumers on whose responsibility it is to lead sustainability efforts, indicating a need for clear guidance.”  

Key trends from the report include: 

1. Sustainability issues prompt high concern but questions linger as to who should drive change.  A majority of U.S. consumers place recycling (71%), reducing pollution (73%), and improving ocean health and water quality (71%) as their top or one of their top environmental concerns. Over half (55%) look to government agencies such as the EPA and DOE to spearhead the transition, while others place responsibility with the oil and gas industry (53%). 
2. Support for clean energy transition exists broadly and in the home. On average, 61% of respondents believe that the advancement of solar, wind, and hydrogen energy technologies will positively influence various aspects of life. However, 32% express concerns that these renewable energy developments might compromise the reliability and resilience of the national electric grid. At the individual level, 75% of consumers say they actively monitor their home energy usage, leading many to make more sustainable, energy saving home improvements, like installing solar panels.   
3. Confusion over battery disposal risks more waste facility fires. Consumers find recycling important; however, confusion exists over what can be recycled — and how. In fact, over half (52%) of consumers do not know of a local collection point but 79% say having a convenient drop-off option would make them more likely to recycle batteries. This lack of awareness has led to many batteries ending up in garbage trucks and landfills, with 36% of consumers throwing batteries in the trash and mixing them with other recyclables (30%). These tendencies help explain the rise in waste management facility fires as thermal runaway of old lithium-ion batteries can spark flames. 

“Standards foster sustainability by providing consistent and clear frameworks for the design and circularity of products and systems,” said Caitlin D’Onofrio, sustainability program lead at UL Standards & Engagement. “We aim to support innovation and achieve greater sustainability for the companies that adopt our standards and the consumers that trust them.”  

UL Standards & Engagement has an extensive track record in support of clean energy including developing standards that support alternative energy sources like wind and solar, and guiding the design of systems necessary for the distribution, transmission, and storage of energy. Latest standards guide a more circular economy, providing companies with best practices to sustainably develop and produce products while eliminating waste, reusing materials, and lowering greenhouse gases emissions. 

The recent launch of UL 3600, Measuring and Reporting Circular Economy Aspects of Products, Sites and Organizations, aims to help businesses evaluate the circularity of their products. This standard is informed by the expertise of diverse technical committee members across industries. UL Standards & Engagement continually recruits experts to join its technical committees to inform and vote on standards, ensuring they are holistic and impactful. 

To learn more about UL Standards & Engagement's sustainability efforts, please visit www.ulse.org/sustainability.

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Methodology:  

These results were primarily taken from a ULSE Insights survey series of a cumulative 4,032 U.S. adults, conducted between November 2023 and June 2024. Supplemental results on battery circularity were taken from a separate ULSE Insights survey series of a cumulative 16,146 U.S. adults, conducted between August 2023 and July 2024, and are also included in the report. 

All studies were designed and formulated by UL Standards & Engagement. Surveys were administered online by BV Insights. As a member of the Insights Association and ESOMAR (the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research), BV Insights adheres to industry ethics and best practices, including maintaining the anonymity of respondents. 

The margin of sampling error at 95% confidence for aggregate results is +/- 2.2%. Sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data. As with any survey, sampling error is only one source of possible error. While non-sampling error cannot be accurately calculated, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of the survey design and the collection and processing of the data to minimize its influence. 

Note: All numbers are percentages unless otherwise noted. Figures may not total 100% due to rounding. 

About ULSE

UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ulse.org for more information.

Contact

Catie Talenti
UL Standards & Engagement
Senior Strategic Communications Specialist
P: (607) 742-8766
catie.talenti@ul.org