Report highlights UP’s sustainable practices

   Helping eliminate 33.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses, diverting 75 percent of its waste from landfills and recycling more than 4.2 million gallons of fuel are some of the ways Union Pacific beefed up its environmental activity in 2012.
   In its recently published Sustainability and Citizenship Report, Union Pacific outlined a number of environmental achievements from last year.
   The company eliminated its customers greenhouse gasses by moving products that had been carried by truck over to rail, while UP also purchased 200 new, fuel-efficient locomotives to help enhance sustainability.
   On the citizenship side of the business, more than 900 of the 3,900 employees who started work last year were veterans. UP also focused on minority-owned suppliers, ramping up business with these companies by 16 percent compared to 2011.
   “Union Pacific’s legacy of delivering the goods upon which Americans depend is rooted in our dedication to serve our customers, employees communities and shareholders,” UP’s Robert W. Turner said in a statement. “Our employees share a responsibility to continue developing sustainable business practices, meeting the growing global demand for freight transportation solutions, while preserving our environment, strengthening our communities and being an employer of choice.” – Jon Ross