Planet and Communities
Planet and Communities
Environmental Stewardship
United Therapeutics is in the business of enhancing lives, and that is not limited to our focus on patients. We also put innovative efforts into mitigating our impact on the planet and prioritizing environmental stewardship. This focus has been a central part of our strategy for over a decade. The cornerstone of our commitment to our planet is demonstrated in the industry-leading design and construction of our facilities in Silver Spring, MD; Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC; and Melbourne and Jacksonville, FL.
NET ZERO AND LEED-CERTIFIED BUILDINGS
Our site net zero energy and LEED-certified portfolio includes:
The Unisphere, a
135,000 sq.ft.
site net zero energy and
Platinum LEED-certified
commercial building in Silver
Spring, MD
25,000 sq.ft.
site net zero energy ex-vivo
lung perfusion (EVLP) facility
on the campus of the Mayo
Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
11,000 sq.ft.
site net zero energy day care center in Research Triangle Park, NC
Two additional LEED Gold certified buildings totaling
238,000 sq.ft.
on our Silver Spring campus,
providing administrative, laboratory,
and manufacturing space
14,000 sq.ft.
site net zero energy
patient support center in
Melbourne, FL
Renewable Energy
We use a variety of methods to minimize and offset our energy usage.
- Our net zero facilities – the Unisphere, LB2, the RTP day care center, and the ASSIST office — make up close to 6% of our electric usage portfolio
- Three of our facilities use 100% clean energy
- Our solar arrays generated energy equivalent to 7% of our total 2020 electric consumption
- Beyond solar, we purchase renewable wind energy credits (RECs) to offset energy usage by our operations outside of our day care centers, and in 2020 we purchased RECs that equal 86% of our total electric consumption
Sharing our Best Practices
More importantly, we are proactively sharing our experience and developed best practices within the net zero energy design community, as we have welcomed a wide variety of governmental and private groups to tour the Unisphere and learn about its innovative energy-saving features. Members of our Corporate Real Estate team have also presented at regional and national sustainability conferences, along with the architectural firm that designed the facility. Working with the same architectural firm for over a decade, United Therapeutics has developed a close collaborative relationship that has fostered innovative achievements and the ability to grow and learn from shared project experiences.
Other Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainability does not stop at the design and construction of our buildings. We have also implemented many other initiatives, including:
- The use of isolation technology to reduce ISO 5 spaces in our manufacturing facilities (used for aseptic preparation of critical processing activities), which in turn significantly reduces the energy consumption required for HVAC, as well as the consumption of gowning materials
- Recommissioning many of our older buildings to improve their energy efficiency and health and wellness impact
- Electric car charging stations
- A commitment by our manufacturing operations to continuously look for innovative ways to implement a variety of different recycling and repurposing measures to divert solid waste from landfills, such as:
- Right cycle — recycling disposable cleanroom and lab apparel into plastic products and durable goods
- Reusing buffer drums as waste collection bins
- Right cycle — recycling disposable cleanroom and lab apparel into plastic products and durable goods
- Recycling and composting programs at our main facilities
Our Community Programs
Giving back is the Unitherian way. It is part of who we are. Our community engagement program has historically been organized around two principles: first, supporting causes that are directly related to our mission around PAH and other rare diseases; and second, supporting our local communities where we live and work through monetary donations, an annual Community Service Day, and other service projects throughout the year.
The activities provide meaningful assistance and support to charitable organizations in our communities while fostering a spirit of volunteerism in our employees. Unitherians have supported many organizations through volunteer efforts or sponsorships, such as Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army/Boys & Girls Club, among others. In 2020, we also supported Black Girls Code, Equal Justice Initiative, Reality Ministries, and Ronald McDonald House of Durham.







Continued Support for STEM Initiatives
- In 2020, we helped fund the Richard Montgomery High School mBIT competition, which is a student-run computing competition
- For the past 10 years leading up to 2020, we sponsored the Montgomery County Science Fair in Maryland. We expect to resume our support in the upcoming school year
- We work closely with FIRST®, (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology), which is the leading, not-for-profit STEM engagement program for youth worldwide. The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills; that inspire innovation; and that foster well-rounded life capabilities, including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. As part of this partnership, United Therapeutics sponsors numerous individual FIRST teams. Each team's goal is the opportunity to attend and compete in the World Championship event at the end of the season. As a leading biotech company, we also sponsor the FIRST Innovation Faire at the World Championship event, which inspires participating youth to seek career opportunities they may not have been aware of with the knowledge and skills they obtained participating in FIRST
2020 HIGHLIGHTS

~ $450,000
in community-focused donations

Over 150
organizations supported

100%
employee participation

Remote learning
and STEM support
THE SEISMIC EVENTS OF 2020 – THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND CALLS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY – EXPANDED OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PRIORITIES
- As part of our $1 million commitment (see page 23 for more details), we donated to the NAACP Legal Defense and Ed Fund, Black Girls Code, Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Equal Justice Initiative
- We provided a cash stipend to our Unitherians — in the form of a $100 gift card for each employee — to support one of our five selected charities or a charity of their choice. Our Unitherians supported over 150 organizations, in many cases personally matching the donation to double the impact. This innovative program helped drive engagement throughout our organization, as employees across all locations participated in support of their favorite charities
- When we learned that many students would not be returning to their classrooms in the fall, we shifted our typical funding for local organizations in Silver Spring, MD and Research Park Triangle, NC to purchase technology and other supplies needed for remote learning
- We provided financial aid to local charitable organizations