Valero Energy sustainability score: 18/100
Below expectations starts at 31. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Valero Energy is a US independent petroleum refiner headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with 15 refineries of about 3.2 million barrels per day of throughput capacity and renewable diesel and ethanol businesses. Incorporated in Delaware in 1981, it had about 9,811 employees and $122.7 billion in FY2025 revenue.
Founded 1981Head office San Antonio, Texas, United StatesStaff ~9,811 (FY2025)Revenue $122,687M revenue (FY2025)Website ↗
Valero does not report Scope 3 emissions, which for a refiner include the burning of the fuels it sells, and its Scope 1 emissions rose from 23.7 Mt in 2021 to 24.8 Mt in 2025 for refining. Most of its 2035 target is met with 'displacements' credited from the low-carbon fuels it sells rather than cuts at its refineries. In 2024 the Bay Area air district and CARB announced a penalty of nearly $82 million over unreported hydrogen-system emissions at Benicia, and LobbyMap grades Valero E for opposing climate policy.
Valero Energy scores 18/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified October 2026.
That places Valero Energy joint 997th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 9th of 18 in Oil & Gas.
What is Valero Energy doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (0/10, 1/10).
Where Valero Energy lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its record on controversiesDeal with the findings under question 10, in public.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain1/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature2/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste3/10No active waste reduction, reuse or repair shown.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets2/10No specific targets with dates.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies1/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Valero Energy's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Valero Energy's score based on?
9 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
33% of them were published by Valero Energy itself; the rest come from independent sources.
Valero does not report Scope 3 emissions, which for a refiner include the emissions from burning the fuels it sells. Its size penalty therefore rests on its own reported Scope 1 and 2 emissions (32.9 million tonnes CO2e in 2025), which places it in the 0.70× band; the full footprint is larger.
“GHG emissions, Scope 1 (million metric tons CO2e)”
“they have a combined feedstock throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million BPD”
“Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, Inc. (LRQA) provided independent assurance statements”
“it does not disclose its Scope 3, value-chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions”
“To date, over 52.5 acres have been restored with over 5,300 trees planted”
“nearly $82 million penalty in a joint case to address significant air pollution violations by Valero Refining Co. at its Benicia refinery”
“active policy engagement that is oppositional to science-aligned climate policy”
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How does Valero Energy compare with other oil & gas companies?
Where Valero Energy sits among oil & gas peers.
Among the 18 major oil & gas brands we've scored, Valero Energy is tied =9th of 18, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Oil & Gas?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Valero Energy.
BP is intensifying fossil fuel expansion while abandoning renewable energy targets and weakening absolute emissions commitments.
See the breakdown →Shell's sustainability record is dominated by its refusal to set absolute Scope 3 targets, weakened climate goals, and a planned LNG expansion that directly contradicts net-zero rhetoric.
See the breakdown →Eni is a legacy oil and gas company dressed in transition language.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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