Shipping Wind Components Sustainably

Today, railroads are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight on land, cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 75% compared to commercial trucks. We are making positive strides toward our carbon emission reduction goals as we improved our fuel consumption rate for the fourth consecutive year. This improvement helped our customers avoid over 23 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by choosing Union Pacific versus truck. Additionally, customers can also receive their Annual Emissions Report and other metrics to support their own sustainability goals.

By choosing rail over truck to transport a 400MW win project, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 3,720 metric tons of CO2eq. Despite our climate advantages over trucks, Union Pacific is still working toward a net zero future.

Sustainability is one of our top priorities when it comes to shipping freight. With outlined climate action strategies and commitments to address climate change, our railroad is always working to reduce emissions through transportation and choosing solutions consistent with the world’s renewable energy goals. In 2021, we committed to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and GHG emissions on a well-to-wheel basis from locomotive operations 26% by 2030 from a 2018 baseline. We are on a path to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Our Climate Action Plan outlines the ways in which we are doing our part to reduce GHG emissions, including:

  • Modernized Locomotives: We modernized 120 existing locomotives during 2021 and committed to spending more than $1 billion on modernizing an additional 600 locomotives from 2023 through 2025.
  • Low Carbon Fuels: Working hand-in-hand with our locomotive and fuel suppliers to increase our use of renewable diesel and biofuels.
  • Battery-Electric Locomotives: Announcing plans to purchase North America’s largest carrier-owned fleet of battery-electric locomotives for testing in freight yard operations.
  • Partnerships: Creating partnerships within our value chain and community to help us reduce our climate impact.

For more information on how Union Pacific is working to reduce harmful emissions, visit our Climate Action Plan.

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