ULSE Confirms the Critical Need for Standards in Climate Efforts, Commits to COP30

Washington, D.C. - Today, as the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) comes to a close in Baku, Azerbaijan, UL Standards & Engagement announced its participation at COP30 in Brazil, further underscoring its commitment to fostering a more sustainable world through standards. ULSE co-led the inaugural Standards Pavilion at a COP event with the International Electrotechnical Commission and International Organization for Standardization.  

“The climate crisis is a global challenge that requires international collaboration and a host of solutions working in concert,” said Sonya Bird, vice president of international standards development. “We were proud to partner with ISO and IEC in clarifying the role of standards in mitigating climate hazards and promoting a more sustainable world on a global stage at COP.”  

ULSE’s efforts at COP29 reflect a decades-long dedication to supporting greater sustainability and accelerating the clean energy transition through standards, from pioneering standards for wind turbine safety to supporting the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. ULSE has nearly 1,000 standards that support greater sustainability by accelerating clean energy innovation, improving circularity for products and batteries to prevent landfill waste, and rethinking how existing and future standards can enhance resiliency to a changing climate.  

In addition to introducing the COP audience to standards though a “Standards 101” presentation from Kolin Low, ULSE’s director of regional standards, the organization participated in a series of panels addressing critical issues such as the resilience of fire safety and energy systems against severe weather and other climate impacts, financing standards to scale renewable energy, and unlocking battery circularity. 

“We recognize that resilience is an issue,” Caitlin D’Onofrio, senior program manager and lead on sustainability standards at ULSE, said during a panel on finance and standards. “Many solar farms, unfortunately, do not achieve their intended lifespan. They’re expected to last 25 years, yet many are shutting down in two to three years.” She added that lenders can more confidently invest in projects that involve products certified to applicable standards, providing greater assurance when funding sustainability programs.   

Following this, D’Onorfrio moderated a panel focused on the challenges posed by the current limitations of battery circularity. Panelists, including IEC, International Trade and Commodities UN Trade and Development, and the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, also examined the critical role that standards could play in unlocking the full potential of batteries for a sustainable energy future.  

D’Onofrio was also on the built environment resilience panel led by ULSE, alongside Stuart Miller, vice president and executive director, UL Research Institutes’ Materials Discovery Research Institute; Adam Stingemore, chief development officer, Standards Australia; and Judy Zakreski, senior vice president, global operations & solutions, International Code Council. The panel, moderated by Rick Ziegler, head of trade and multilateral affairs at UL Solutions, covered how standards can help address acute and chronic climate resilience hazards, including the rising severity of wildfires, urban heat islands, and the impact of extreme weather on energy systems and efficiency.    

“International standards bring consistency, clarity, and consensus to our global climate challenges,” said Low during the event’s opening remarks alongside Dr Sunghwan Cho, ISO President, and Mr Vimal Mahendru, IEC Vice-President and Chair of the Standardization Management Board. “ULSE is proud to partner with IEC and ISO to elevate how standards can address pressing climate risks that COP seeks to address. We look forward to continued collaboration as we work together to confront our global climate crisis.” 

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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