Unions of subobjects are pushouts ($A\cup B=A{⨿}_{A\cap B}B$)

In a coherent category, maps $A\to Y$ and $B\to Y$ agreeing on the intersection define a relation from $A\cup B$ to $Y$ by taking the union of their graphs. It is total because the two subobjects cover their union, and single-valued because the maps agree on overlap. Total functional relations define morphisms, giving a unique glued map. This is the pushout universal property without assuming a general supply of pushouts.