In 2024, Union Pacific completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Union Pacific has also provided a category-level breakdown for 9 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 9,286,290a | 9,162,910a | 9,266,469a | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Market-Based | 227,007a | 235,705a | 180,950a | |
Location-Based | 206,771a | 215,799a | 180,695a | |
Total Scope 3 | 4,836,332a | 5,324,487a | 5,703,764a | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 382.9398a | 379.9042a | 372.5214a |
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In 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Union Pacific amounted to 9,493,061 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2023, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Union Pacific increased by 1.22%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing its emissions from its core operations.a
In 2024, the total Scope 1 emissions of Union Pacific were 9,286,290 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2019, Union Pacific's Scope 1 emissions have decreased by 7.9%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Union Pacific's Scope 1 emissions increased by 1.35%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions from its directly owned or controlled operations.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 227,007 tCO₂e using the market-based method and 206,771 tCO₂e using the location-based method.a
Since 2019, Union Pacific's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Location-Based) have decreased by 20.89%, reflecting a declining long-term trend in Scope 2 emissions over time.a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Union Pacific's Scope 2 emissions (Location-Based) have remained relatively stable, indicating that Union Pacific's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its energy consumption footprint.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported its Scope 2 emissions using the market-based method and using the location-based method.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported 4,836,332 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2024 disclosure of Union Pacific includes a breakdown across 9 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, matching the level of disclosure in 2023, demonstrating consistent Scope 3 emissions reporting coverage year over year.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported total Scope 3 emissions of 4,836,332 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 93.13% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 6.87% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2019, Union Pacific's Scope 3 emissions have increased by 19.53%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.a
Compared to the previous year (2023), Union Pacific's Scope 3 emissions remained relatively stable, indicating that Union Pacific's emissions have plateaued with no significant change in its value chain footprint.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported emissions for 9 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This partial disclosure allows for some insight into the company's indirect impacts.
In 2024, the largest contributors to Union Pacific's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 9,286,290 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 24,250 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 382.94 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 382.94 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 16.87, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2024, Union Pacific ranked 20 out of 23 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
This places Union Pacific among the least efficient performers, with one of the highest emissions intensities in its sector.a
In 2024, Union Pacific reported a total carbon footprint of 14,329,393 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 2.54% decrease compared to 2023, indicating progress in reducing its overall greenhouse gas output.a
The largest contributor to Union Pacific's total carbon footprint was Scope 1 emissions, accounting for 64.81% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 3 emissions at 33.75%.a