UP touts high carbon disclosure score, high magazine honor for VP Betsworth

Union Pacific Railroad achieved its best-ever performance in the CDP's Global 500 and Standard & Poor's 500 climate change reports for 2013, the Class I announced yesterday.

The railroad's carbon disclosure score of 98 out of a possible 100 is in the top 10 percent of all companies in the Global 500 and S&P 500 samples, securing the Class I a "leadership position" on the Global 500 and S&P 500 Climate Disclosure Leadership indices, UP officials said in a press release.

"Union Pacific is the only North American railroad to achieve a place on both indexes," they said, adding that the railroad's carbon disclosure score is an 11-point improvement versus last year.

In 2012, the railroad eliminated an estimated 33.5 million tons of greenhouse gases via truck diversions, purchased 200 new fuel-efficient locomotives to replace older, less fuel-efficient units and diverted an estimated 75 percent of the company's waste from landfills. And last month, UP unveiled the Arrowedge®, an employee-designed aerodynamic device that can help reduce fuel usage and locomotive emissions on double-stack trains.

The CDP performance improvement "indicates our solid understanding of climate change-related issues affecting the company and our continued dedication to taking data-driven actions that reduce our environmental impact," said Bob Grimaila, UP's vice president of safety, security and environment.

Meanwhile, UP also announced on Monday that VP of Intermodal Operations Kate Betsworth recently was recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as a "Woman Worth Watching." The magazine honors women executives whose personal leadership successes encourage aspiring business leaders and help advance women into leadership ranks.

Since joining UP in 1994, Betsworth has served a stint as VP and general manager of Union Pacific Distribution Services, and held marketing and sales leadership roles in the chemicals, industrial products and training teams.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized alongside so many accomplished women in leadership roles," said Betsworth in a press release. "My experiences have taught me to appreciate two things: hard work and personal responsibility — traits that are embodied by the many Union Pacific team members I've been fortunate to work with throughout my career."