Sustainability

From clean energy generation to sustainable manufacturing and recycling, to adapting homes, buildings, and utilities to a changing climate, our standards are enabling a more sustainable future.
A mother and daughter gaze upon a sunset on a landscape dotted with windmills.

What is a sustainability standard?

A sustainability standard is a published set of requirements and best practices that helps ensure products are designed, manufactured, and disposed of, and processes are developed and carried out in a way that either benefits or minimizes negative impact to the surrounding community and environment. 

How do UL standards make products and processes more sustainable?

By equipping companies with best practices for developing and manufacturing products while eliminating waste, reusing materials, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, UL standards can make products and processes more sustainable. Our standards also help guide the development of sustainable energy technology, as well as the systems necessary for safe distribution, transmission, and energy storage. And our standards for the built environment help communities adapt residential and commercial structures and infrastructure to future impacts of climate change such as extreme heat, increased severe weather events, and rising sea levels.

How many sustainability standards does UL Standards & Engagement have?

ULSE has nearly 1,000 standards that support sustainability efforts. These include standards for wind and solar energy products that make these renewable sources safe and accessible for homes and communities. our electric vehicle and e-mobility standards for electric bikes and scooters help facilitate safer, cleaner transportation alternatives. Additionally, our standards for fuel-handling equipment are helping facilitate a safe transition to sustainable biofuels, which produce less carbon and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. 

Our circularity and battery recycling standards help prevent e-waste by establishing requirements for device repair, refurbishment, and take-back programs, as well as for the sorting and grading processes involved in repurposing lithium-ion batteries.

And our standards for climate change resilience in the built environment help ensure buildings, housing, and infrastructure are resilient to the effects of intense and frequent extreme weather events.

How can I get involved in the development of sustainability standards?

Your expertise can have an impact on our sustainability standards through participation on our technical committees, or as a voting or nonvoting stakeholder in our accredited, consensus-based development process. We need subject matter experts in sustainability from every part of the value chain, including manufacturers, supply chain, government, NGOs, and more. Our TCs are formed to ensure a variety of perspectives are represented in a balanced, fair, and transparent manner. Representatives from Ford and Tesla serve on our TCs for electric vehicle charging equipment. Representatives from Google, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Motorola participate on our TC for mobile phones. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has contributed to our wind and solar energy standards. The list of participants — large and small — supporting our globally impactful work is constantly growing. Learn how you can get involved here.

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Key trends from ULSE's latest sustainability report:

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. However, over half (55%) look to government agencies such as the EPA and DOE to spearhead the transition. (Source: UL Standards & Engagement)

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. (Source: UL Standards & Engagement)

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 that 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 or mixing them with other recyclables (30%). This behavior helps to explain the rise in waste management facility fires sparked by old lithium-ion batteries going into thermal runaway. (Source: UL Standards & Engagement)