The Science Based Targets initiative champions science-based target setting as a powerful way of boosting companies’ competitive advantage in the transition to the low-carbon economy.

It is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments.

The initiative’s overall aim is that by 2020, science-based target setting will become standard business practice and corporations will play a major role in driving down global greenhouse gas emissions. Embedding science-based targets as a fundamental component of sustainability management practices is crucial in achieving this.

Committed companies have 24 months to have their targets approved and published by the SBTi, or they will be removed from the SBTi website, unless specific circumstances apply. See the protocol to manage expired commitments for more information. All committed companies before April 8th, 2020, have been offered extensions as per the first version of the Protocol to manage expired commitments.

All scope 1 and 2 targets are classified under one of three categories: 2°C, well-below 2°C and 1.5°C. The assessment does not include a classification of scope 3 targets. As of October 15th 2019, the SBTi will only accept target submissions of scope 1 and 2 targets that are in line with either well-below 2°C or 1.5°C trajectory.