Environmental sustainability
Environmental compliance
At United, we believe that sustainability and environmental compliance are not goals to strive for but the lens through which we view and conduct our daily operations across the enterprise. Our commitment to environmental compliance is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts, ensuring we meet applicable environmental laws and regulations.
Striving for compliance excellence
Environmental compliance is the backbone of our sustainability strategy. Our Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a comprehensive framework for systematically evaluating environmental risks and developing environmental compliance programs as regulations and compliance requirements continue to evolve. This integrated system encompasses environmental policies, operational procedures, change management protocols, and compliance monitoring at United locations, ensuring consistent environmental stewardship across operational facilities.
Enhancing our electronic management information systems
Accountability begins with visibility. Our Electronic Management Information System (EMIS) leverages advanced electronic tools to strengthen environmental compliance monitoring and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. In 2024, United transitioned our audit program and incident reporting to a SaaS cloud-based platform. Building on this success, we designed and transitioned critical compliance modules in 2025, including environmental compliance and task tracking, inspections and management of change capabilities.
This robust EMIS platform enhances our regulatory compliance posture by providing real-time transparency and comprehensive data visibility at both airport and enterprise levels. The system enables proactive identification of compliance gaps, facilitates timely corrective actions, and supports the implementation of industry best practices across our operations. United continues to expand EMIS capabilities with additional modules to our SaaS-based solution. In 2026, we expect to add modules on air emissions and chemical management, further strengthening our commitment to meeting environmental regulatory requirements.
- Designed and transitioned critical compliance modules
- Deployed new mobile/electronic inspection forms
- Created new environmental Management of Change (MOC) process
- New air emissions calculation and compliance module
- New chemical management and approvals module
- Network-wide tank inventory database
Building a culture of compliance
Frontline engagement is central to maintaining compliance, so we equip our employees with the tools and knowledge needed to meet environmental regulatory standards.
Throughout 2025, we modernized our Environmental Procedures Manual (EPM), which defines our environmental policies and procedures. The updated EPM now lives on a user-friendly digital platform with AI-powered search capabilities, improving accessibility and ease of use for employees. United also delivers specialized in-person environmental training annually; last year we began overhauling the environmental computer-based training modules to incorporate updated EPM and EMIS platforms that reinforce our culture of compliance.
Management oversight and accountability
Achieving environmental compliance also depends on strong management oversight. Leadership engagement ensures compliance is integrated into reliable, efficient operations rather than treated as a separate function. Our newly enhanced EMIS provides management with real-time insights to identify compliance gaps and trends, helping us prioritize resources, tools and oversight to maintain compliance. Through compliance dashboards, divisional and airport leadership gain clear visibility into compliance metrics, reinforcing consistency and accountability across our network. This data can also help predict future noncompliance, identify opportunities for tools or procedural improvements and guide training enhancements to avoid future noncompliance.
This new tool provides increased flexibility and transparency in my day-to-day tasks. I can download an inspection form and take it with me to complete on-the-go, while being able to easily see records allows me to track all my completed tasks. It’s also helpful when we have audits and inspections, so I can easily pull up weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports.
Matthew Olans, Assistant Manager of Facilities and GSE Maintenance at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Portland International Airport (PDX).