Railroad company Union Pacific announced today that its Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction goals have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

SBTi was formed as a collaboration between CDP, World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), with the goal to establish science-based environmental target setting as a standard corporate practice. Achieving approval of targets by SBTi is a significant milestone for companies’ sustainability efforts.

Union Pacific Chairman, President and CEO Lance Fritz said:

“As the world seeks to improve environmental sustainability, it’s critical for businesses to take action. Although we move freight in an environmentally responsible way, we will not be complacent about our operations’ impact. We’re proud to solidify our commitment through actions that also will enable our customers to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.”

Union Pacific has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from its operations 26% by 2030 against a 2018 baseline.

Beth Whited, Chief Human Resource Officer at Union Pacific, said:

“Committing to achieve our SBTi targets is just one piece of our railroad’s overall Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. Built on four areas of concentration – Engaging Employees, Sustainable Solutions, Protecting the Environment and Strengthening Communities – our ESG strategy addresses the evolving needs of our stakeholder groups over the next decade and is more inclusive of the overall impact we can have.”