Sustainability

Environmental

Sustainability

UFG promises to embrace the right opportunities to be environmentally responsible, because we believe even the smallest sustainability concept can lead to the biggest step forward for natural preservation. We recognize our facility operations, and even some types of insurance coverages, play a role in conservation and offsetting our environmental footprint.


Responsible coverages and insurance products

At the core of our business is the insurance coverage we provide. We offer a variety of basic and more advanced policies tailored for the needs of our insureds. Product innovation, especially as it relates to corporates social responsibility, continues to play a big part in our goal to offer simple solutions for complex times.

Pollution coverage
UFG offers liability coverage for a covered job site pollution event. This coverage is also available through our businessowners property endorsement with varying levels of protection.

Pollutant redefined endorsement
UFG’s pollutant redefined endorsement broadens our commercial general liability policy, providing coverage for carbon monoxide poisoning due to faulty workmanship.

UFG workplace environment

In addition to establishing a UFG Green Team dedicated to sustainability practices, the workplace environment team is active in reducing our environmental footprint. Here are a few ways we're generating less impact:

Smaller footprint
  • Use of low VOC paint, LED light fixtures and sustainable cleaning products.
  • Annual reduction of 16% in electricity, 35% in natural gas and 49% in water usage from 2021 to 2024. 
  • By encouraging the use of filtered water filling stations across our Cedar Rapids campus, we saved 396,504 plastic water bottles through October 2025.
  • In April 2021, we subsidized the giveaway of 150 trees to affected employees following the August 2020 derecho, which damaged more than 953,000 trees and more than 7,000 acres of tree canopy in Linn County alone (per Iowa DNR survey). This was one way we could help repair our damaged ecosystem.
  • From 2019 to 2025, we decreased our real estate footprint by 27%. 
  • In September of 2023, we implemented a Water Management Plan (WMP) with professional qualifications standard for Legionella water safety and management personnel. The objective of the water management program is to manage microbial risk associated with the building water systems, minimizing Legionella and other pathogens.
  • The UFG headquarters campus sources 100% of its water from the city of Cedar Rapids, and to achieve our reduction goals, we’ve implemented low-flow aerators in all sinks and installed low-flush toilet units across our Cedar Rapids property.
  • View other UFG sustainability efforts
Low impact materials
  • Partner with flooring vendors that manufacture products with low environmental impact. Utilize architectural wall systems instead of drywall. The walls can be reconfigured and reused rather than disposed of at the landfill.

WELL Certified™ Platinum 
  • UFG was awarded WELL Certification at the Platinum level in 2024 by the International WELL Building Institute pbc for the 100,000 square-foot American Building in Cedar Rapids.
  • This journey included passing rigorous performance testing and evaluation within a set of 10 core concepts — air, movement, water, thermal comfort, sound, nourishment, materials, light, community and mind — backed by scientific research to advance health and well-being through design interventions and operational protocols and policies, helping our people put forth their best work and be their best selves. Curious about our performance results? View our January 2024 final performance review.
  • UFG proudly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). See how our strategic goals align with WELL Certification.
Net Zero Waste program
  • UFG Green Team, in lockstep with workplace environment, launched an effort to net zero waste across the Cedar Rapids campus in July 2022. The program equips employees with recycling, composting and waste-to-energy receptacles aimed at waste diversion. Since its inception, we have successfully diverted over 61 tons of landfill-bound trash from the Cedar Rapids campus through our recycling and composting efforts. The primary contributions to this total are 14 tons of shredding, 13 tons of compost and 29 pounds of recycling.
Lo-emission-vehicleFleet vehicle emissions
  • UFG’s active fleet has experienced a 54% reduction since 2024 (from 120 vehicles in November 2024 to 55 vehicles in November 2025).
  • Average monthly emissions (in MT C02e) for our fleet vehicles were reduced from 119 in 2022 to 39 in 2025. 
  • Average monthly fuel consumption for our fleet vehicles decreased from 13,634 gallons per month in 2022 to 6,865 gallons per month in 2025.