Texan by Nature Unveils the 2026 Texan by Nature 20, Honoring Texas Companies for Conservation
The Austin-based conservation nonprofit's eighth annual list, announced Wednesday, recognizes companies across 13 industries — chosen from research on more than 2,000 Texas companies — for measurable conservation work.
Texan by Nature, the Texas-led conservation nonprofit based in Austin, on Wednesday announced the honorees of the eighth annual Texan by Nature 20 — its official recognition of companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrable commitment to conservation. The list honors companies across 13 industries in the state.
The honorees announced include Apex Clean Energy, Cemex, Cirrus Logic, Darling Ingredients, Force of Nature Meats, HOLT CAT, J.Crew Group, Mary Kay Inc., MetLife, the North American Development Bank, Overhaul, Overland Partners, Sabert Corporation, Tetra Pak, Texas A&M University, Texas Health Resources, WM and Xcel Energy, according to the organization's release.
"The 2026 TxN 20 honorees demonstrate that integrating conservation into business operations can lead to positive returns for people, prosperity, and natural resources," said Joni Carswell, the organization's chief executive and president. Former First Lady Laura Bush, the organization's founder, congratulated the class, saying their work is "inspiring others to bring nature into the places we live, work, and play."
To build the list, the organization evaluated company data submissions and conducted independent research across more than 2,000 of Texas' publicly traded and private companies, scoring them on a 17-point system covering stated commitment to conservation, reported metrics, measured investment and conservation impact on land, water, wildlife, people, waste and energy. The scoring narrowed the field to the top 94 companies, from which a selection committee of industry leaders chose the final honorees. The program is supported by Jetco Delivery. Texas holds 171 million acres of land, the organization noted — the backdrop against which it argues business-led conservation can move statewide numbers.
