UP makes Ford's preferred supplier list, cites sustainability advances in CDP submittal

Union Pacific Railroad recently joined Ford Motor Co.'s Aligned Business Framework (ABF) group of preferred suppliers.

Developed in 2005, ABF aims to increase engagement and collaboration with Ford's "most strategic partners," UP officials said in a press release. In 2013, Ford sourced 65 percent of its global production business to ABF-listed suppliers, up from 34 percent in the initiative's first year.

"This recognition is a testament to Union Pacific's customer focus and commitment to providing value to Ford by safely and efficiently transporting its finished vehicles and production parts," said Linda Brandl, UP's vice president of automotive.

Meanwhile, UP recently submitted climate change data and outlined efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in its sixth annual public disclosure to the CDP.

For the first time, the railroad also described how it's striving to responsibly manage water in the CDP’s water questionnaire. Formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, the CDP is an international nonprofit organization that provides a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share environmental information.

Illustrating the role environmental sustainability plays in UP’s business planning and operations, the CDP submittal highlights how the railroad is:
• pioneering and testing technology to improve fuel efficiency, such as the Arrowedge® aerodynamic device for double-stack trains;
• managing infrastructure, equipment and operations through training and awareness to increase fuel efficiency;
• establishing plans for preserving habitats, such as processes to protect the desert tortoise, an endangered species; and
• engaging with the public, shareholders, customers, suppliers and employees to enhance environmental  stewardship.