About Us

WHO WE ARE

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a corporate climate action organization that enables companies and financial institutions worldwide to play their part in combating the climate crisis.

We develop standards, tools and guidance which allow companies to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions targets in line with what is needed to keep global heating below catastrophic levels and reach net-zero by 2050 at latest.

The SBTi is incorporated as a charity, with a subsidiary which will host our target validation services. Our partners are CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the We Mean Business Coalition, the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

• Meet the team
• Our partners
• Organizational governance
• Technical governance
• How we are funded
• Meet the Technical Council
• Meet the Technical Advisory Group (TAG)
• Meet the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG)
• The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN)
• Join our team
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Requests for proposals

WHAT WE DO

We must urgently increase ambition in the fight against climate change.

The latest climate science sends a clear warning that we must dramatically curb temperature rise to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Science-based targets show companies and financial institutions how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi):

• Defines and promotes best practice in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science.
• Develops standards, tools and guidance to enable companies and financial institutions to set science-based targets in line with the latest climate science.
• Through its validation services arm, assesses and validates companies’ and financial institutions’ targets

By the end of 2023 over 4,000 companies and financial institutions were leading the transition to a net-zero economy by setting emissions reduction targets and having them validated by the SBTi.

Our challenge

The race is on to limit global warming to 1.5°C and prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Through the 2015 Paris Agreement, world governments committed to limiting global temperature rise to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that global warming must not exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change. To achieve this, GHG emissions must halve by 2030 – and drop to net zero by 2050.

Business has a vital role to play in driving down greenhouse gas emissions and building the resilient, zero-emissions economy we urgently need. This action must be grounded in science.

We need a race to the top, led by pioneering companies. This will empower peers, suppliers and customers to follow suit and drive governments to take bolder action.

Our aims

The SBTi mobilizes the private sector to take the lead on urgent climate action.

The SBTi enables companies and financial institutions to understand how much and how quickly they must decarbonize to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

We enable them to tackle global warming.

Action is needed in key sectors, many of which require tailored approaches to setting targets. The SBTi provides clarity and guidance on these journeys, including for the forest, land and agriculture and finance sectors.

In 2021 the SBTi launched the world's first Corporate Net-Zero Standard, to ensure that companies’ net-zero targets are consistent with what is required to achieve net-zero no later than 2050.

Our evolution

The SBTi was formed as a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In 2023 it was incorporated as a charity in the UK, with a legal Board of Trustees. The SBTi also incorporated a subsidiary which will, when fully operational, house its target validation services, with all profits donated to the charity. Standard-setting will remain in the charity.

Companies and financial institutions can use the SBTi’s standards, tools and guidance to set science-based targets. They then submit these targets to the target validation services team to have them validated.

In late 2023 the SBTi incorporated a subsidiary which will, when fully operational, house its target validation services, with all profits donated to the charity.

Our values

The values of accountability, integrity, respect and collaboration govern all aspects of our conduct in the work we do.

1. Collaboration

We learn through each other's experiences, knowledge, and participation. We multiply our contribution through collaborative learning and processes. At the SBTi, we firmly believe that our shared goals and mutual support lead to greater success; we are always stronger together.

2. Respect

We value our diverse workforce, clients, and other stakeholders and seek and embrace differences as a positive source of learning and a way to enable our impact. unique traits and qualities.

3. Integrity

We are courageous enough to do what is right at all times, and we don’t just profess our values; we practice them.

4. Accountability

We take our responsibility seriously and own our obligation to explain, justify, and deliver on our commitment to enabling corporations and financial institutions to reduce carbon emissions based on climate science.

• Read our latest monitoring report
• Contact us
• Connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest updates
  
• Join our mailing list