ESG … sustainability. Many publicly-held companies believe in it and promote it. Some issue lengthy reports about their ESG initiatives. Rather than “just publish,” I frequently ask “what is the benefit of this to end-customers? to distributors?” And surprisingly, 99% of the people (probably PR and marcom roles) don’t respond. The end-result, I don’t publish.

Schneider Electric‘s PR firm took a different, I dare say, proactive approach. They reached out and asked:

“As industrial energy use and ESG reporting come under increasing scrutiny, companies are looking for ways to demonstrate real environmental performance, not just promises. Schneider Electric is the first company to earn UL ECOLOGO® certification for industrial equipment including HVAC, starting with their PowerPact™ circuit breakers. This certification provides third‑party, science‑based validation of environmental performance and helps energy managers and industrial operators make more informed, verifiable choices when selecting equipment.

Why it matters:

• Sets a new benchmark for sustainability in industrial equipment
• Offers verifiable data for procurement, energy efficiency, and regulatory compliance
• Signals a shift in how energy-intensive products are designed, evaluated, and reported.”

And then they offered to set up an interview. I responded back with some questions that essentially said, “what’s the benefit to HVACR distributors” and I would be open to an article.

Come to find out, there is something behind their green claim.

From “Green Claims” to Verified Proof: A Distributor Playbook for UL ECOLOGO®-Certified Equipment

Sustainability claims are being tested, literally and legally, and distributors are increasingly caught in the middle. Customers are not only asking whether a product is “greener”; they are asking if you can prove it, document it, and stand behind it in a quote package, submittal, or audit trail. At the same time, scrutiny around vague environmental language continues to grow. Distributors do not want copy that creates risk for their teams or for the customer downstream. This is where third-party certification shifts the tone of the conversation. It moves the discussion from interpretation to verification. For distributors, that shift is practical rather than abstract, because the channel is where product selection turns into a buying decision.

UL ECOLOGO® certification is one of the clearest ways to keep sustainability conversations grounded in verifiable facts. It is a multi-attribute, lifecycle-based third-party certification developed by UL Solutions, the global safety science organization behind the UL Listed mark. Classified as an ISO Type I ecolabel, UL ECOLOGO® is recognized by the U.S. EPA‘s Federal Purchasing Program, LEED, and other green building programs. For this category, certification is evaluated under UL 2711, the Standard for Sustainability of Energy and Industrial Automation Equipment. The key takeaway is simple. If a product is UL ECOLOGO® certified, it has been assessed against defined criteria. That differs from supplier-authored claims that vary by source and are harder to defend.

That verification-first approach matters to distributors because it changes what can be operationalized across the channel. Start with standardization. Instead of each seller improvising sustainability language, the distributor can align around a shared proof point: the certification, standard, and verification path. Consistency helps internally, but it also builds credibility with customers who are tired of marketing adjectives. UL ECOLOGO® also reduces friction late in the process. Many opportunities slow down when purchasing or compliance joins the conversation and asks for documentation. When certification and verification are already built into the quote or the submittal, fewer deals stall at the finish line.

There is also a risk-reduction benefit. Certifications provide a safer anchor than broad language like “eco-friendly,” “green,” or “low impact,” especially when customers are sensitive to greenwashing. And certification supports account growth. It opens a door to value-added conversations with organizations that have ESG reporting requirements, without forcing distributor teams to overreach into claims they cannot substantiate. That last point matters most. The distributors who win the next decade of sustainability conversations won’t be the ones who learn the most environmental adjectives. They’ll be the ones who learn to point at proof.

Different audiences interpret value in different ways, so messaging needs to match how each group buys. Contractors, for example, do not sell ESG—they sell getting approved. Their priorities are winning bids, passing submittals, meeting owner requirements, and avoiding delays. Rework is a hidden cost on many projects, and sustainability requirements that change midstream can trigger it. Distributors can support contractors with practical language that stays factual. The themes are straightforward: this is a recognized third-party certification from the same organization behind the UL Listed mark contractors already work with every day; it can be cited when owners ask; it can make the sustainability portion of submittals more straightforward; and it is verification that does not require defending subjective claims. Distributors can also create contractor-facing assets that fit the way work gets done. A one-page handout can explain what UL ECOLOGO® is and how to reference it in submittals, or a bid snippet can stick to facts only: the certification, UL 2711, and the verification source. The point is consistency at the moment of conversation, not a stack of new collateral.

End users, purchasing teams, and ESG and sustainability leads tend to focus on defensible procurement. They may have ESG reporting requirements, internal sustainability targets, supplier scorecards, or reputational risk concerns. ® certified equipment is easier to defend because it is third party verified. Because UL 2711 also evaluates corporate sustainability indicators alongside product attributes, certification supports both product-level claims and supplier-scorecard credibility. It supports more informed selection by providing a consistent reference point across products. Customers can also verify listings through UL SPOT, UL Solutions’ Sustainable Product Database. In practical procurement workflows, UL ECOLOGO® references can show up in approved products lists, RFP and RFQ language, supplier scorecards, and internal narratives. The key is discipline. Distributors can enable the workflow without adding claims beyond the certification itself.

To translate certification into revenue, distributors need to treat UL ECOLOGO® as a specification attribute, not a marketing flourish. Buyers want to find it quickly, compare options, and validate what they see. That starts with digital merchandising. Add a visible UL ECOLOGO® attribute across web and eCommerce experiences, with consistent product-page wording such as “UL ECOLOGO® certified (UL 2711),” and category-page filters that let customers locate certified options in one click. Datasheet repositories should include certification references and verification instructions in the same place. Buyers increasingly self-educate before they ever talk to sales. Digital proof points reduce drop-off and cut the number of emails that ask for basic documentation.

A lightweight campaign then connects these pieces into a channel-friendly flow under a factual theme like “Verified environmental performance built into selection.” A short three-email sequence, what UL ECOLOGO® is, how contractors reference it in submittals, and how purchasing verifies it in UL SPOT, gives sales a single thread to share, anchored by a landing page that holds the explainer, the verification steps, and the FAQ.

No matter which tactic is used, proof and verification have to live one click away. Wherever the certification appears, point customers to UL SPOT to confirm UL ECOLOGO® certified products.

If you claim it, link to how to verify it.

Certification is becoming a selection criterion. Expect more RFP language, owner standards, and procurement requirements to request third-party validation. Distributors who operationalize verification become more valuable partners because they help customers make decisions that hold up under scrutiny. The path to action can start this quarter: identify UL ECOLOGO® certified SKUs and tag them consistently in product data; add UL SPOT verification links wherever certification is referenced; and train inside and outside sales on shared talk track and FAQ. Produce two simple handouts, one for contractor submittals and one for end user verification. When “Can you prove it?” becomes the deciding question, the distributors with verified proof will win.”

By Marta Asack, Senior Vice President of Power Products at Schneider Electric. Marta is the Senior Vice President of Power Products for North America at Schneider Electric, where she leads global strategy and innovation for energy management solutions. She brings extensive expertise in engineering, program management, product development, operations, and manufacturing, with a strong track record of leadership within Schneider Electric.

Additional Thoughts / Action Steps

• I asked if Schneider Electric’s local salespeople should be knowledgeable about this. The answer was “yes,” so, if you are a Schneider distributor and have questions … you should be able to ask, get answers, and perhaps target accounts for joint sales calls where this would be pertinent.
• Late last year Schneider had a posting on their blog with Q&A on the topic. Here’s a link to it.
• Schneider distributors with a blog should post information on ECOLOG on their site to inform customers, and be a content generator.
• This could be good information for a “training session / lunch ‘n learn.”
• If you are not a Schneider distributor, and have customers where sustainability is important, or they ask about ESG (or you know they have an ESG initiative), perhaps ask your manufacturers if they are UL ECOLOGO certified, or are applying?

If green is important to an electrical manufacturer, explaining why is important. It can be you believe in it, practice it, encourage it, and benefit internally – all are valued. If it is supposed to have value to distributors and their customers, explain that too.