2014 Sustainability and Citizenship Report

Union Pacific

2014 Sustainability and Citizenship Report

Union Pacific’s mission of service defines us and drives our commitment to safely transport products across the country, provide good jobs, operate ethically and invest in our country by investing in our communities.

This report details our progress in four key areas during 2014: operating safely, strengthening communities, engaging employees and working to preserve the environment. We also summarize our financial performance and economic impact.

We used the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Guidelines to inform reporting on our most material sustainability and citizenship issues. This publication focuses on initiatives and accomplishments from the 2014 calendar year and includes 2014 data, unless otherwise noted.

 

Key Performance Indicators

  • Operating Safely201220132014
    Rail crossing accidents
    (per million train miles)
    2.382.222.34
    Reportable injury rate* 
    (per 200,000 employee-hours)
    1.061.100.98
    Public outreachAbout 8,500 events reached 704,000 peopleAbout 9,000 events reached more than 616,300 people13,580 events, reached more than 629,500 people

    *Restated 2012/2013 to reflect previous employee-hour miscalculations.

  • Strengthening Communities201220132014
    Reported net income$3.9 billion$4.4 billion$5.2 billion
    Operating revenue$20.9 billion$22.0 billion$24.0 billion
    Capital program
    (private funds, no taxpayer dollars)
    $3.2 billion$3.6 billion$4.1 billion
    Spend with minority- and women-owned businesses$430 million$484 million$509 million
  • Engaging Employees201220132014
    Percent of employees unionized86%86%85%
    Workforce diversity5% Female, 95% Male
    1% Asian
    11% Black
    74% Caucasian
    12% Hispanic
    2% Native American
    6% Female, 94% Male
    1% Asian
    11% Black
    74% Caucasian
    12% Hispanic
    2% Native American
    6% Female, 94% Male
    2% Asian
    11% Black
    73% Caucasian
    12% Hispanic
    2% Native American
    U.S. Population 2011 census data (permits reporting of more than one race): 5% Asian, 13% Black, 78% Caucasian,
    17% Hispanic, 1% Native American
  • Preserving the Environment201220132014
    Energy usage45.6 million megawatt hours45.7 million megawatt hours48.4 million megawatt hours
    Water usage withdrawals*2.82 billion gallons2.24 billion gallons2.09 billion gallons
    GHG emissions   
    Locomotive fossil fuel emissions (scope 1)11,149,798 metric tons11,153,933 metric tons11,850,514 metric tons
    Fossil fuel emissions (scopes 1 and 2)11,940,205 metric tons11,953,871 metric tons12,666,733 metric tons
    Waste**
    Total waste generated1.12 million tons1.09 million tons1.10 million tons
    Tonnage diverted from landfills76%76%77%
    E-waste***Approximately 405,000 pounds recycled or reusedApproximately 370,000 pounds recycled or reusedApproximately 270,000 pounds recycled or reused

    *Restated 2013 to remove Metra data
    **Restated 2013 to include new data identified through further analysis
    ***Restated 2012/2013 to exclude packaging

Sustainability and Citizenship Goals

Union Pacific’s values are to focus on performance, ensure high ethical standards and work as a team. Operating safely and responsibly is paramount for our success.

Broadly, our sustainability and citizenship goals include our commitment to:

  • Operate a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible rail network that delivers the best customer service.
  • Provide employees with the safest work environment.
  • Constantly improve employee, customer and public safety through training, education, innovation and investment.
  • Develop employee programs and processes that make us an employer of choice.
  • Invest in our network infrastructure to enhance safety, service and efficiency.
  • Grow our business profitably and responsibly so we can invest in the future and make a positive impact on our employees, communities, customers and shareholders.
Sustainability Report 2015 - Main - Zeroing In

Zeroing in on Safety

No injury is acceptable. That’s why our ultimate goal is achieving annual safety records toward zero: 

Fuel Consumption Rate and GHG Emissions Goal

Our goal is to reduce Union Pacific's locomotive fuel consumption rate by 1 percent each year from 2015 to 2017. Measured on a gross ton mile basis, this will result in a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 1 percent annually.

Our Preserving the Environment section features information about steps we are taking to improve our fuel efficiency.

Stakeholder Outreach

Union Pacific interacts with many different groups in the communities where we operate, and we take into account their range of perspectives in setting citizenship and sustainability priorities.

Communication Channels

Communities

  • Employee volunteers
  • Union Pacific Foundation community-based grants
  • UP CARES (Crossing Accident Reduction and Education Safety program)
  • Employee and corporate giving
  • Nationwide 24-hour emergency hotline: 888-877-7267
  • Safety training for fire and law enforcement personnel
  • Union Pacific and communities joint emergency response committees
  • Employee recruiting
  • State-specific public affairs contacts and outreach
  • Public-private partnerships
  • Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and other social media channels
  • Community Ties
  • Event sponsorships
  • News releases
  • RSS feed

Customers

  • Union Pacific account representatives
  • National Customer Service Center
  • Customer satisfaction surveys
  • Web portal
  • Advertising and marketing
  • Electronic commerce capabilities
  • Industry-specific customer education seminars
  • Customer news and service updates
  • Events and trade shows
  • Partnerships and memberships
  • Supply chain impact evaluation for customers
  • Pinnacle Awards for chemicals customers
  • Innovative customer partnerships, including TRANSCAER
  • Carbon Emission Estimator
  • News releases
  • RSS feed

Employees and Retirees

  • UPOnline daily news updates
  • Employee website
  • Employee ethics hotline
  • Business ethics bulletins
  • Inside Track employee magazine
  • Union Pacific Information Television
  • Senior management field visits and town halls
  • Senior management online town halls
  • Craft-specific and regional employee newsletters
  • Labor Relations Connection, an online portal for union employees
  • Retirees and families website
  • UP Voices grassroots network
  • Employee Resource Groups
  • Safety policies, training and certification programs
  • Education assistance and management training
  • Friend to Friend employee network
  • Performance management
  • Surveys and focus groups
  • Leadership meetings
  • Recognition programs
  • Employee clubs
  • Peer Support
  • CEO letters
  • Family days
  • Company calendars

Investors

Regulatory Officials

  • Union Pacific Environmental Management Program
  • Ongoing dialogue via our Washington, D.C.-based staff
  • Participation in the Association of American Railroads
  • Commitment to meet voluntary agreements with the California Air Resources Board and other states
  • Collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Employee and corporate regulatory and legislative advocacy
  • Voluntary participation in initiatives, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership
  • News releases
  • RSS feed

Suppliers

Sustainability Report 2014 - Main - Stakeholder Outreach

 

About Union Pacific

Fast Facts

47,200Employees

32,000Route Miles

8,500Locomotives

23States

7,000+Communities served

Sustainability Report 2015 - Main - About UP Fast Facts map

Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP). One of America’s most recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain.

From 2005 to 2014, Union Pacific invested more than $31 billion in its network and operations to support America's transportation infrastructure. The railroad's diversified business mix includes agricultural products, automotive, chemicals, coal, industrial products and intermodal freight. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe, reliable,fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.

For more than 150 years, Union Pacific has been dedicated to customer service, investment and innovation. We proudly maintain our legacy by providing quality jobs, minimizing our environmental impact and contributing to the communities where we live and work.

Union Pacific is a member of several national industry and business organizations, including:

  • American Wind Energy Association
  • Association of American Railroads
  • Food Shippers of America
  • Global Environmental Management Initiative
  • GoRail
  • National Association of Manufacturers
  • National Business Group on Health
  • National Freight Transportation Association
  • National Grain and Feed Association
  • National Minority Supplier Development Council
  • National Safety Council
  • United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
View Details
Sustainability Report 2015 - Main - Diversified Business Product Pie Chart

Diversified Business Products

Union Pacific moves the goods American families and businesses use every day. Just about everything in homes, offices, manufacturing facilities, construction sites and stores moves by train at some point.

Agricultural Products | Revenue: $3.8 billion

We haul the products that feed the nation and many parts of the world, efficiently delivering whole grains and other agricultural goods.

Automotive | Revenue: $2.1 billion

Union Pacific provides transportation and logistics for automotive parts, finished vehicles and aftermarket vehicles. We directly serve five vehicle assembly plants, distribute imported vehicles from the West Coast and Gulf of Mexico, and operate or access distribution centers for all major automotive manufacturers.

Chemicals | Revenue: $3.7 billion

Union Pacific carries the chemicals used to clean drinking water, produce plastics and fertilize our crops. We also transport petrochemicals, crude oil extracted from U.S. shale locations and soda ash.

Coal | Revenue: $4.1 billion

Coal generates more than one-third of the U.S. electricity supply, and we deliver more than 20 percent of the coal America needs.

Industrial Products | Revenue: $4.4 billion

Union Pacific ships a variety of raw materials and finished goods, including steel, pipe, frac sand, cement, military equipment, wind turbine components and lumber.

Intermodal | Revenue: $4.5 billion

Intermodal involves transporting freight in an intermodal container or vehicle using multiple modes of transportation (rail, ship and truck). This method reduces cargo handling and improves security and efficiency. One Union Pacific intermodal train can take several hundred trucks off America’s congested highways. We deliver a wide range of multimodal solutions for domestic and international freight shippers moving products such as electronics, toys, furniture, clothing and auto parts.

Mexico Markets

Union Pacific is the leading freight transportation services provider to and from the United States/Mexico border and is the only railroad to serve all six major Mexico gateways. Revenue from our six business units includes $2.3 billion from Mexico in 2014.

View Details

Governance and Ethics

Our commitment to ethics begins with our board of directors and is maintained through every level of our organization. We work diligently to maintain the highest standards and to provide quality service and value to our customers, investors and employees.

Union Pacific employees are trained on our Statement of Policy on Ethics and Business Conduct. This includes our security personnel and commissioned police force, who keep our facilities secure and prevent unauthorized access.

The policy’s purpose is to convey the basic principles of ethical business conduct expected of all employees. As a foundation, the principles are grounded in compliance with all applicable laws and rules, and observe the highest ethical standards, including honesty, fairness, integrity and respect.

To learn more, including relevant policies and procedures as well as information on our board of directors, see the Corporate Governance section of the Union Pacific website.

Sustainability Report 2015 - Main - Governance Ethics

Looking Ahead

FEEDBACK

For questions on this report or to provide feedback, contact Union Pacific via email at sustainability@up.com.

OUR COMMITMENT

Since our founding more than 150 years ago, Union Pacific has driven economic growth in America. Our mission, strategy and workforce all are focused on completing tasks better tomorrow than we do today, enabling Union Pacific to remain critical to the American economy in the centuries to come. We will continue to strive to be the best in the business in our safety initiatives, on our tracks, in our communities, across our workforce and for our environment. The 2014 Union Pacific Sustainability and Citizenship Report shares our initiatives and progress thus far. We are proud of our accomplishments and our work to improve our operations. In the years ahead, we will continue to invest in our employees, communities and infrastructure because they shape our growth and success.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For ongoing updates on our citizenship and sustainability efforts, visit the following.

  • Media. Up-to-date information about Union Pacific
  • Environment. Sustainability commitments and progress
  • Employees. Programs and services available to the members of our workforce
  • Customers. Product offerings and business groups
  • Investors. Annual report, proxy statements and other SEC filings
  • Communities. News, photos and video about Union Pacific, our employees and the communities where we operate

CAUTIONARY INFORMATION

Our 2014 Sustainability and Citizenship Report provides additional explanatory information regarding Union Pacific that may not be available, included or directly derived from information in the company's Annual Report. This report includes statements and information regarding future expectations or results of the company that are not historical facts. These statements and information are, or will be, forward looking as defined by the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by use of forward-looking terminology (and derivations thereof), such as "believes," "expects," "may," "should," "will," "would," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates," "projects" and other words or phrases of similar intent. Forward-looking statements and information generally include the following: the company's expectations or forecasts with respect to general economic conditions in the United States and the world; the company's financial and operational performance; increases of the company's earnings; demand for the company's rail service; improving customer service; enhancing profitability; volume and revenue growth; efficiency improvements and increasing returns; and improving asset utilization. Statements also include the effectiveness or growth of new and newer services; management of network volumes; increasing shareholder value; total amount of capital investments; completion and effectiveness of capacity expansion and other capital investments, and other investments in infrastructure improvements; returns on capital investments; improvements regarding safety of our operations and equipment; improving efficiencies in fuel consumption; preserving the environment and communities where the company operates; and effectiveness of plans, programs and initiatives to reduce costs and other efficiency improvements. Forward-looking statements and information should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times that, or by which, such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements and information reflect the good faith consideration by management of currently available information and may be based on underlying assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, such information and assumptions (and, therefore, such forward-looking statements and information) are or may be subject to variables or unknown or unforeseeable events or circumstances over which management has little or no influence or control.

The risk factors in Item 1A of the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed Feb. 6, 2015, could affect our future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and information. This report should be read in consideration of these risk factors. To the extent circumstances require or the company deems it otherwise necessary, the company will update or amend these risk factors in subsequent Annual Reports, periodic reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements.