2026 Valero Report on Guiding Principles - Report - Page 30
Biodiversity
We engage in diverse ecological projects with local, state and federal regulatory agencies, as well as with neighbors
and nonpro昀椀ts. We work together with local and regional organizations that provide a variety of environmental
services ranging from the protection of endangered species and restoration of wetlands to reforestation,
rehabilitation of former industrial sites and promotion of environmental awareness through educational training
programs.
2025 Biodiversity and Conservation Initiatives
The following programs and projects are part of our biodiversity initiatives beyond the company's business activities.
We prioritize the needs of local nonpro昀椀ts and other community stakeholders when selecting biodiversity projects
and value these opportunities to engage with our neighbors.
Nature-Based Programs:
Valero volunteers joined the
Pontchartrain Conservancy to plant
trees in the LaBranche Wetlands area of
St. Charles Parish.
Continued Partnership with the Pontchartrain
Conservancy – St. Charles and Meraux
Valero’s partnership with the Pontchartrain
Conservancy—now spanning more than 10 years—has
resulted in Valero volunteers from our Valero Meraux
and St. Charles Re昀椀neries planting over 10,500 trees in
their respective parishes. Building on this long-standing
collaboration, Valero donated $1 million to the Conservancy in
2021 to support a multiyear swamp restoration initiative.
Wellness Nature Garden –
Pembroke
Scenic Galveston and Rice University’s SSPEED Center (BCarbon) –
Houston/Texas City
Valero volunteers at
the Valero Pembroke
Re昀椀nery contributed
to local environmental
enhancement by planting
trees, shrubs, and 昀氀ower
beds in their Wellness
Nature Garden, fostering
biodiversity, improving
green space, and
supporting employee
wellbeing.
Scenic Galveston and Rice University’s SSPEED Center are launching two
Valero-supported initiatives to strengthen storm resilience by restoring coastal
wetlands and improving 昀氀ood protection for the Houston-Galveston region. One
project will establish a new wetland nursery at Virginia Point to supply native
plants to support large-scale restoration and living shoreline projects, while
the second supports SSPEED research to evaluate nature-based and structural
昀氀ood-mitigation solutions, including potential levee extensions.
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute – Three Rivers
In 2025, the Valero Three Rivers Re昀椀nery committed to partnering with the
Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (CKWRI) at Texas A&M University–
Kingsville, the state’s leading wildlife research organization. Within CKWRI, the
Texas Native Seeds (TNS) program is a nonpro昀椀t research and development
group dedicated to advancing native plant restoration across Texas. The
re昀椀nery and TNS are targeting to restore 10 acres of Valero-owned property
over the next three years, returning the area to a healthy South Texas native
habitat that better supports local wildlife. This collaboration will also provide
hands-on training opportunities for TAMUK student workers and potentially
identify target plant species for seed collection that TNS can use to support
their goals.
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