Corporate Sustainability

For more than 125 years, UL has worked for a safer, more secure and sustainable world. In 2019, we published our first sustainability report, to share our mission, our responsibility and our progress toward a sustainable future for all. The 2020 Sustainability Report, is a call to all who hope to protect our planet, its people and the prosperity of future generations.

We have been committed to our mission of working for a safer world since our founding in 1894. One way we live our mission is through Corporate Sustainability, integrating it into every facet of our work. We believe our global reach and safety science expertise make us uniquely positioned to have a profound and positive impact on the world.

In our 125th year of operations, UL has become a Signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, formally committing to report on our societal responsibility as we innovate, influence and inspire others toward a more sustainable future.

UL’s mission to promote safe, secure and sustainable living and working environments for all people through its services and offerings aligns closely with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. By participating in the Compact, we will further enhance our sustainability aims through collaborating with other leading organizations focused on a more sustainable future.

From employee volunteerism and financial donations to reducing our environmental impact and providing sustainability services, we ensure there are ways for everyone at UL to be engaged in Corporate Sustainability.

Planet

At UL, we strive to minimize the adverse impacts our global offices and operations have on the environment. We make a concerted effort to responsibly manage our utility usage, reduce the waste we generate and engage our employees in finding creative solutions to environmental problems in their communities.

People

Our commitment to people means taking care of our employees, as well as the public we serve. By prioritizing initiatives like employee volunteerism, nonprofit partnerships, disaster relief and charitable donations, we strive to improve lives.

Prosperity

We are proud of the fact that our services and offerings help make the world safer, more secure and sustainable. But the positive impact we have on society does not end with us. It grows with every company that employs our services, in every geography where we are located and with every person that utilizes UL Certified products. The inherent goodness of our work provides us the unique opportunity and ability to promote sustainability every day, in everything we do.

Sustainability Policy

For more on our commitment to securing a sustainable future, please explore our Sustainability Policy.

Aligning to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

We are committed to contributing toward and aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide unified targets toward which global entities can work, ultimately helping to improve lives and address wide-reaching issues.

In 2018, we conducted a materiality assessment to identify which of the 17 SDGs most closely align with our mission, values, business and Corporate Sustainability objectives. This analysis resulted in the selection of these goals as our priority focus areas moving forward:

• Goal No. 3 - good health and well-being
• Goal No. 11 - sustainable cities and communities
• Goal No. 12 - responsible consumption and production