USTML
Community & Causes
Sustainability
Sustainability has been part of USTML's identity for years now. We support thousands of American businesses in safeguarding what they've worked hard to build — from first-generation immigrant founders in Houston to tech startups out of Silicon Valley. In our view, those businesses are rooted in communities and an environment that deserve just as much dedicated protection as the trademarks we register.
Here's a closer look at our specific actions, commitments, progress, and roadmap spanning two pillars: Climate and Social. This framework mirrors the one used by leading U.S. organizations, holding us to those same benchmarks. We put names on our initiatives, publish our figures, and commit to deadlines.
Because talk is not a trademark. Only real, registered action counts.
1%
Monthly Revenue Pledged
Every month, permanently
2
Pillars
Climate & Social
2028
Annual Impact Report
To be Published
The World We're Responding To
Before describing our actions, we need to be honest about the realities we're facing. The challenges confronting the United States and the broader world aren't abstract or far away — they surface in the clients we work with, the cities where we operate, and the families standing behind every brand we help register.
The Climate Reality
What the data tells us and cannot be ignored:
- The Earth has warmed 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels. Scientists warn 1.5°C could be crossed by 2030, triggering irreversible tipping points.
- The U.S. emits approximately 5.0 billion metric tons of CO₂ per year, roughly 14% of global emissions, making it the world's second-largest emitter.
- Deforestation destroys roughly 10 million hectares of forest globally every year, (an area equivalent to the size of South Korea) releasing stored carbon and collapsing ecosystems.
- The U.S. lost 62 million acres of forest between 2001 and 2021. That is nearly the size of the entire state of Arizona. Gone.
- Climate-related disasters cost the U.S. economy over $165 billion in 2022 alone. Since 2000, extreme weather events have caused more than $2 trillion in damage across the country.
- By 2050, climate change is projected to cost the U.S. up to 10% of GDP annually (more than the combined economic output of California and Texas).
- Ocean levels are rising at 3.7mm per year, accelerating. Coastal cities including Miami, New Orleans, and New York face existential flooding risks by 2100.
- More than 1 million species are currently at risk of extinction, largely due to habitat destruction and climate disruption.
The Social Reality
The challenges in our own backyard:
- 37 million Americans including 11 million children live in poverty. That is 1 in 9 people in the wealthiest nation on Earth.
- 44 million Americans experience food insecurity. On any given night, more than 582,000 people sleep without a home in the United States.
- 1 in 5 children in the U.S. goes to bed hungry. In school districts in the South and rural Midwest, that number climbs to 1 in 3.
- 55% of minority-owned small businesses lack access to traditional legal services, including trademark protection leaving their brands exposed and their livelihoods at risk.
- More than 28 million Americans have no health insurance. Preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension claim hundreds of thousands of lives annually.
- The U.S. ranks 38th globally in child education outcomes. In underserved communities, high school graduation rates fall below 70%.
- Globally, 736 million people live in extreme poverty. The systems that drive inequality here are the same systems driving it worldwide.
- Climate change and poverty are deeply linked: the communities least responsible for carbon emissions bear the greatest consequences.
These are not just statistics. They are the backdrop against which USTML made its commitment. We are a trademark services company in the United States, not a government, not a charity, not a foundation. But we are a business that earns revenue every month in this country, from the people in this country, and we choose to send 1% of that back. Every month. Without exception.
THE USTML 1% PLEDGE
Every single month, 1% of USTML's gross revenue is permanently allocated to climate and social causes. No conditions, No exceptions.
Carbon Emissions
USTML's direct carbon footprint comes primarily from cloud computing infrastructure, remote employee energy consumption, business travel, and our Richmond, VA office. We completed our first baseline carbon audit in Q3 2024. The results shaped our current reduction roadmap.
Our Baseline — 2024 Audit Results
~42t
CO₂e Total
2024 Baseline
78%
From Digital Infrastructure
Cloud + remote work energy
Q1 2027
Target: Net Zero Operations
Verified & offset
Making Our Services Sustainable
USTML processes thousands of trademark filings, renewals, office action responses, and monitoring alerts every year. Every single one of those transactions is fully digital. That was a choice, and it is one we intend to build on.
Paperless Since Day One
USTML has operated entirely paperlessly since its founding. Unlike traditional law firms and filing services who still generate enormous volumes of printed correspondence, wet-ink signatures, and physical filings.
USTML handles 100% of its client and government communications digitally. We estimate this eliminates over 40,000 sheets of paper annually compared to a similarly-sized traditional legal services operation.
100%
Digital Filing
Zero paper client processes
~40K
Sheets Saved/Year
vs. traditional model
0
Physical Couriers Used
All correspondence electronic
Vendor Green Standards: Effective Q2 2025
From Q2 2025, USTML evaluates all technology vendors and service providers on the basis of their published environmental policies. New vendors must meet minimum criteria:
- Publicly disclosed carbon reduction commitments or net-zero targets
- Renewable energy sourcing for data centers (minimum 50% by 2025, 100% by 2027)
- ISO 14001 certification or equivalent environmental management standard
Green Procurement Policy
For our Richmond office and any physical needs, we source exclusively from suppliers with verified sustainable practices. Either recycled or FSC-certified paper products, energy-star certified equipment, and local suppliers where available to minimize shipping emissions.
Commitments & Industry Engagement
Commitments without accountability are marketing. USTML publishes specific, dated commitments with named milestones and we plan to report on our progress against every single one in our annual January impact report.
THE USTML 1% PLEDGE
Every single month, 1% of USTML's gross revenue is permanently allocated to climate and social causes — no conditions, no exceptions.
Split equally: 0.5% Climate | 0.5% Social
Annual impact report published every January. Fully transparent. Fully accountable.
The 1% Monthly Revenue Pledge Breakdown
Since January 2025, USTML has permanently allocated 1% of gross monthly revenue to sustainability giving. This commitment was made irrevocably by our leadership team and is embedded in our financial operating model not subject to quarterly reviews or revenue conditions.
Jan 2025
Pledge Activated
First month of giving
50/50
Climate / Social Split
Equal allocation each month
Jan 2028
First Annual Report
Industry Memberships & Affiliations
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce — Sustainable Business Initiative Signatory
- Better Business Bureau — Accredited Business, Richmond VA
- 1% for the Planet — Application submitted Q1 2026
- Virginia Chamber of Commerce — Business Sustainability Council
Operations
Sustainable operations at USTML means embedding environmental thinking into every decision we make. Starting from how we source our coffee in the Richmond office to how we configure our cloud servers. In 2025, we formalized this through our Green Operations Policy, reviewed quarterly by our sustainability team.
Remote-First Workforce
USTML's workforce operates remote-first across the United States. In 2025, 84% of our team worked fully remotely, eliminating the majority of daily commuting emissions. For our Richmond, VA office team, we offer a $150/month public transit or cycling stipend. Our Commute Green Program launched in March 2025.
84%
Remote Workforce
2025
$150/mo
Commute Green Stipend
Transit & cycling subsidy
Mar 2025
Commute Green Launched
Richmond office program
Cloud & Digital Operations
Our client portal (portal.ustmr.com), trademark filing system, and all internal operations run on AWS and Google Cloud infrastructure. In Q1 2025, we migrated all compute workloads to AWS US-East (N. Virginia) (a region powered significantly by renewable energy) and enabled Google Cloud's carbon-free energy matching for all applicable services.
Office Energy & Waste
Our Richmond, VA office switched to 100% renewable electricity in January 2025 via a direct REC (Renewable Energy Certificate) purchase agreement with Dominion Energy Green Power. We eliminated single-use plastics in the office in March 2025, and we partnered with a local composting service for organic waste. All office electronics are Energy Star certified.
Employee Engagement
At USTML, sustainability goes beyond a corporate policy — it's a personal commitment shared across our entire team. Through our UST Impact program, every employee is given the time, resources, and framework needed to put their values into action.
The USTML Impact Program — Launched September 2025
USTML launched a formal employee sustainability and giving program. Every USTML team member receives:
- 16 hours of paid volunteer time annually — usable for any verified environmental or social nonprofit
- $250 annual personal sustainability giving budget — directed by the employee to a cause of their choice
- Access to biannual group volunteer events organized by the USTML sustainability team
- A personal impact report shared each January showing the collective hours and dollars contributed by the team
2025 Employee Impact — First Year Results
312
Volunteer Hours Logged
Team total, 2025
19
Nonprofits Supported
Employee-directed giving
100%
Team Participation
UST Impact enrollment
Biannual Volunteer Events
Twice a year, the USTML team comes together in person in Richmond and virtually across remote locations to volunteer with partner organizations. Our 2025 events included:
Fall 2025 — Food Bank Marathon
38 USTML volunteers sorted and packed 4,200 lbs of food at FeedMore's Henrico distribution center providing approximately 3,500 meals to food-insecure families across Central Virginia ahead of Thanksgiving.
Internal Sustainability Champions Program
In Q3 2025, USTML designated five Sustainability Champions across our teams. Each responsible for tracking sustainability performance in their function, identifying improvement opportunities, and presenting quarterly to senior leadership. Champions receive dedicated professional development in ESG reporting and sustainability management.
Voluntary Carbon Market
USTML purchases credible, third-party verified carbon removal and offset credits from vetted U.S.-based projects. We do not buy cheap, low-quality offsets. Every credit we purchase is verified under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) or the American Carbon Registry (ACR). We prioritize projects that deliver co-benefits beyond carbon — including biodiversity, Indigenous community livelihoods, and clean water.
2025 Offset Portfolio
42t
CO₂e Offset in 2025
Full Scope 1+2 neutrality
3
Active Projects
All U.S.-based
VCS/ACR
Verification Standards
Third-party certified
Featured Projects
Riverlands Forest Project — USA
Located across the Mississippi River floodplain, the Riverlands project preserves and sustainably manages 24,000 acres of forestland that would otherwise face logging pressure. USTML purchased 18t CO₂e in 2025. The project also provides critical habitat for migratory birds and supports the livelihoods of 3 rural communities.
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Forest — Michigan, USA
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) in Michigan manages 14,000 acres of Ojibwe ancestral forest above regional carbon baselines. USTML purchased 14t CO₂e in 2025. This project directly funds forest stewardship jobs for tribal members and preserves cultural heritage landscapes threatened by surrounding commercial forestry.
American Grasslands Conservation Great Plains, USA
Supporting family-owned ranches and farms across the Great Plains in adopting regenerative grazing practices that increase soil carbon. USTML purchased 10t CO₂e in 2025. The project provides supplemental income to 12 farm families and preserves 8,400 acres of native prairie one of North America's most threatened ecosystems.
Social Commitment
USTML helped more than 10,000 American business owners protect their brands in 2025. Behind every one of those filings is a human being.
A first-generation immigrant who built a business from nothing.
A single mother who turned a side hustle into a livelihood.
A young entrepreneur whose dream deserves legal protection.
We believe the same system that lets us earn a living has an obligation to serve everyone. That is why 0.5% of every dollar USTML earns goes to social causes. Not when we feel like it. Not in a good quarter. Every month.
Why These Causes?
We focused our social giving on four areas where the gap between need and resource is largest and where targeted, consistent funding from a business like ours can have a measurable impact:
Our Four Social Pillars:
- 01. Access to Legal Protection for Underserved Entrepreneurs
- 02. Children's Education & Literacy
- 03. Food Security & Hunger Relief
- 04. Health Access for Uninsured & Low-Income Americans
Regulatory Compliance
USTML meets and exceeds all applicable U.S. environmental and social regulatory requirements. As a Virginia-incorporated professional services company, our obligations are primarily governed by federal EPA standards and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requirements. We are also proactively preparing for emerging disclosure mandates.
Current Compliance Status — 2025
- Full compliance with all EPA Scope 1 reporting requirements applicable to our business category
- Virginia DEQ Green Business Certification — Application submitted October 2025
- OSHA workplace safety compliance — annual audit completed, zero violations (2024 and 2025)
- EEO and non-discrimination compliance — annual HR audit completed Q3 2025
- Consumer data privacy compliance — full CCPA and Virginia CDPA compliance verified
Preparing for Emerging Requirements
The regulatory landscape for sustainability disclosure is changing rapidly. USTML is actively preparing for the following:
Annual Impact Report — Transparency Commitment
USTML publishes a full Annual Sustainability Impact Report every January. The report discloses:
- Gross revenue and 1% allocation — total giving for the year, broken down by month
- Climate: emissions data by Scope 1/2/3, reduction vs. prior year, offset volumes and projects
- Social: giving by pillar, named recipient organizations, impact metrics for each initiative
- Operations: energy data, paper use, vendor sustainability compliance
- Employee: volunteer hours logged, initiatives supported, UST Impact participation rate
- Progress against every dated milestone in this report
Themed Initiatives
Beyond our core pillars, USTML supports a set of themed campaigns tied to key dates in the U.S. calendar amplifying giving around moments when public attention and nonprofit need intersect.
Earth Month — April
Every April, USTML doubles its climate allocation for the month directing a full 1% of April revenue (vs. the standard 0.5%) entirely to environmental causes. In April 2025, this funded an additional 22 tree plantings per team member through American Forests' National Tree Planting Program.
National Small Business Week — May
Every May, during National Small Business Week, USTML launches its Trademark Equity Campaign offering 20 additional free trademark consultations to minority-owned, woman-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. In 2025, this campaign served 23 businesses and resulted in 18 formal trademark applications being filed.
Hunger Action Month — September
Every September, USTML organizes a company-wide food drive and doubles its FeedMore donation for the month. In September 2025, the combined employee food drive and doubled corporate donation provided the equivalent of 6,100 meals to Richmond-area families.
Giving Tuesday — November
On Giving Tuesday 2025, USTML opened its employee sustainability giving portal to clients allowing any USTML client to direct a $10 donation on their behalf to any of our four social pillars. 847 clients participated. $8,470 was distributed across legal access, education, hunger, and health organizations.
We are a trademark company. We protect names, logos, and slogans. But a trademark is worthless if the world around it is burning, hungry, or unwell. The 1% we give every month is our way of saying: we are part of this country, and this country is part of us. We will keep earning. And we will keep giving.— CEO, USTML — united states trademark registrations and law
THE USTML 1% PLEDGE
Every single month, 1% of USTML's gross revenue is permanently allocated to climate and social causes — no conditions, no exceptions.
