We became the first company in the world to earn UL ECOLOGO^® certification for energy and industrial automation equipment. Here’s what that means, why it matters, and what the entire industry can learn from it.

In November 2025, Schneider Electric became the first company worldwide to earn UL ECOLOGO^® certification for energy and industrial automation equipment—read the full announcement here. We announced this milestone at Innovation Summit North America in Las Vegas—and here’s what it means for companies operating at the intersection of industry and sustainability.

Ultimately, there’s a moment in every industry when the bar gets raised. Not incrementally — but fundamentally. The UL ECOLOGO^® certification is that moment for industrial equipment. Most importantly, this is a genuinely historic milestone, and it carries profound implications for our customers, our supply chain, and sustainability.

What is UL ECOLOGO^® certification?

UL ECOLOGO^® certification is one of the longest-running, most rigorous multi-attribute environmental certifications in the world. Administered by UL Solutions—a global leader in applied safety science—the program confirms that a product has undergone thorough scientific testing, third-party auditing, and evaluation against stringent environmental performance standards.

Buyers recognize the ECOLOGO mark—73% of consumers know it, and 66% of U.S. retailers prefer it. Additionally, as an ISO 14024 Type 1 ecolabel, it represents the highest level of third-party environmental credibility and appears in more than 400 green purchasing specifications worldwide, including LEED, EPA programs, and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly Program.

Until now, UL Solutions has applied UL ECOLOGO^® certification primarily to consumer categories such as cleaning products, personal care, and electronics. That changed with the introduction of the new UL 2711 Standard for Sustainability of Energy and Industrial Automation Equipment. Schneider Electric is proud to be the first company in the world to certify under it. Explore the full program details on the UL ECOLOGO® Certification for Energy and Industrial Automation Equipment page.

The ECOLOGO mark—shown above—is the visual signal your customers, procurement teams, and investors will recognize as proof of independently verified environmental performance.

Why greenwashing makes UL ECOLOGO^® certification essential

To understand why this certification matters so much right now, we need to confront an uncomfortable reality: sustainability claims are largely unverified.

Regulators are responding: the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued multi-million dollar settlements over false eco-claims, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is actively investigating greenwashing, and the EU is implementing consumer greenwashing protections. As a result, the era of unchecked sustainability marketing is ending.

This is precisely why UL ECOLOGO^® certification is the right answer. It is independent. It is science-based. And it is fully auditable—so our customers can stand behind it with confidence.

Why PowerPact™ Circuit Breakers? Why now?

“As an energy technology leader and the first company to apply ECOLOGO certification, we’re setting a new standard for transparency and accountability in manufacturing, helping our customers confidently deploy lower-carbon energy technology and power distribution solutions at scale.” — Bin Lu, Executive Vice President, Power Products, Schneider Electric

Our PowerPact™ Molded Case Circuit Breakers are foundational infrastructure—installed in data centers, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and critical facilities worldwide. In particular, by starting certification here, we’re signaling something important to the entire market: environmental performance is no longer an afterthought in industrial product design. It is a design criterion.

As a result, every material choice, manufacturing process, and end‑of‑life plan now undergoes external, independent scrutiny. This represents a fundamental shift—and it starts with circuit breakers, where power infrastructure begins.

What UL ECOLOGO^® certification means for your business

Whether you’re a building operator, procurement officer, specifier, government agency, or industrial manufacturer, here is what this certification delivers for you in practical terms:

Verified ESG and sustainability reporting

ECOLOGO certification directly supports Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure requirements and provides the third-party verified data that investors and regulators increasingly demand. You are not relying on a supplier’s self-declaration—you have independent certification backed by UL Solutions.

Green procurement compliance

The ECOLOGO mark is recognized in more than 400 purchasing specifications and green building standards worldwide, including LEED and EPA programs. For the first time, those standards can be applied to certified industrial automation and power distribution equipment.

Supply chain accountability

When your equipment supplier holds a recognized environmental certification, it creates a documented, defensible sustainability claim for your entire value chain—one that can withstand regulatory scrutiny and investor due diligence.

An invitation to the entire industry

Jeff Smidt, SVP Testing, Inspection and Certification, Industrial at UL Solutions, put it plainly: today’s manufacturers face “an unprecedented imperative to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability,” one that demands a science-based approach to substantiate claims and meet evolving regulatory and market expectations.

Our goal is not to check a compliance box. We believe that when leaders in an industry raise the bar, the whole industry moves. To our peers: pursue this path. To customers: demand it in your procurement criteria. To specifiers: prescribe with sustainability in mind. To policymakers: recognize it in your frameworks.

The more companies that certify, the faster our entire sector can accelerate the transition to a lower-emissions economy. This is not a competitive advantage we want to keep to ourselves—it’s a standard we want to become the floor.

Looking ahead: What comes next

This is the opening chapter, not the final one. Our PowerPact™ circuit breaker certification marks the beginning of a broader commitment to building UL ECOLOGO^® certification into our entire energy management and industrial automation portfolio over time. Subsequently, we will continue to work with UL Solutions to expand coverage across more product categories.

Sustainability is not a marketing strategy for Schneider Electric. It is an engineering and business philosophy—and third-party certification is how we prove it. As your energy technology partner, we electrify, automate, and digitalize every industry, business, and home, driving efficiency and sustainability for all. This certification is what that commitment looks like in practice.

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