Science Based Targets initiative

What Science Based Targets initiative does

Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) is an independent registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1205768) founded in 2015 by CDP, the UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and WWF. The organization develops and maintains the methodologies, standards, and validation frameworks that enable companies and financial institutions to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets aligned with limiting warming to 1.5°C. Its product portfolio centers on three pillars: the Corporate Net-Zero Standard (currently Version 1.3.1 with Version 2.0 released June 2026), the Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard (launched 2025), and a suite of sector-specific standards covering Apparel, Air Transport, Automotive, Buildings, Chemicals, Cement, FLAG, Maritime, Oil and Gas, Power, and Steel. SBTi operates a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, SBTi Services Limited, which monetizes target validation services, while the parent charity is funded primarily by foundation grants — notably $37M from the Bezos Earth Fund, IKEA Foundation, and Laudes Foundation in 2021.

The platform is anchored by 11,156+ companies with validated targets, 13,574+ with commitments, and 2,607 validated net-zero targets, representing roughly $38 trillion of global market capitalization. Supporting infrastructure includes the public Target Dashboard, the SBTi Academy, supplementary guidance (Beyond Value Chain Mitigation, Supplier Engagement), and an in-development Power Sector Net-Zero Standard. The 2026–2030 corporate strategy signals a deliberate shift from ambition-setting to implementation and enforcement.

SBTi monetizes through a hybrid model: free public standards and guidance drive adoption at scale, while SBTi Services Limited generates fee-based revenue from validation workflows. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees with Francesco Starace as Chair, led by CEO David Kennedy (former founding Chief Executive of the UK Committee on Climate Change), and supported by a Technical Council established as the permanent independent decision-making body on standard development. Go-to-market relies heavily on partner network amplification (CDP, UN Global Compact, WRI, WWF, We Mean Business Coalition, Mission Possible Partnership) rather than traditional direct sales, with major awareness moments including London Climate Action Week 2026 and the Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 launch.

Name

Science Based Targets initiative

Legal name

Science Based Targets Initiative

Website

https://sciencebasedtargets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Science Based Targets Initiative is an independent UK charity that sets the global standard and validates science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for corporations and financial institutions, with 11,000+ validated companies representing $38 trillion of market capitalization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Standards and Target Validation

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Net-Zero Target Setting & SBTi/Net-Zero Standard Support (EUABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Net-Zero Assurance & Readiness Assessments (limited assurance prep, audit support) (EUABAKAJ), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH), Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD), Climate Target-Setting, Transition Planning & Performance Management Platforms (EUABAEAF)

Keywords

• Science-based climate targets
• Net-zero standard validation
• Corporate emissions reduction
• Climate target setting framework
• Sector decarbonization pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Validation Services: SBTi Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary, provides commercial validation services for businesses submitting targets for validation. Revenue generated from target validation fees.
2. Foundation Grants: SBTi receives grant funding from major foundations including Bezos Earth Fund, IKEA Foundation, and Laudes Foundation ($37M USD secured in 2021) to support operations and scale-up

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) develops science-based target-setting standards and methodologies that enable companies and financial institutions to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary SBTi Services Limited, the organization provides commercial validation of submitted corporate targets against its Corporate Net-Zero Standard, Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard, and sector-specific criteria (apparel, aviation, automotive, buildings, chemicals, cement, FLAG, maritime, oil and gas, power, steel).

Product overview

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a corporate climate action organization that develops standards, tools, and guidance enabling companies and financial institutions to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets aligned with climate science. The organization operates a platform of interconnected products centered on its core standards framework: the Corporate Net-Zero Standard (covering corporates), the Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard (covering banks, asset managers, and investors), and sector-specific standards for industries including Apparel, Automotive, Buildings, Chemicals, Cement, FLAG, Maritime, Oil & Gas, Power, and Steel. Supporting services include Target Validation Services through SBTi Services (a wholly owned subsidiary), the SBTi Academy for training, a Target Dashboard for tracking company commitments, and supplementary guidance on topics like Beyond Value Chain Mitigation and Supplier Engagement. The portfolio functions as a unified ecosystem where the standards provide the framework, validation services verify compliance, and guidance/academy products support implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SBTi Services: The wholly-owned validation services subsidiary of SBTi that handles target validation services for companies.

Products and services

• Corporate Net-Zero Standard Flagship framework providing criteria for companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets validated by SBTi, covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with both near-term and long-term requirements for net-zero by 2050.
• Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard Standard enabling banks, asset owners and managers, private equity firms, and other financial institutions to set science-based targets aligned with 1.5°C pathway and net-zero by 2050, with requirements for deforestation assessment and fossil fuel transition policies.
• Sector-Specific Standards and Guidance Tailored criteria and guidance for specific industries including Apparel and Footwear, Air Transport, Automotive and Land Transport, Buildings, Chemicals, Cement, Forest Land and Agriculture (FLAG), Maritime, Oil and Gas, Power, and Steel sectors.
• Target Validation Services Validation service through SBTi Services subsidiary enabling companies to submit and receive official validation of their science-based emissions reduction targets against SBTi standards.
• SBTi Academy Training and educational resources to help companies and individuals understand and implement science-based target setting methodologies.
• Target Dashboard Public dashboard showing companies with validated science-based targets, tracking growth and momentum in corporate climate action globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of companies with validated targets reported positive overall business impact
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, supporting and founding.

• CAFA (Climate Action for Associations)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Partnership to accelerate climate action across trade associations, expanding association engagement and corporate climate action through technical expertise and industry network.
• Smart Freight Centre (SFC)supportingTechnology or Integration · 25 April 2023Technical collaboration to further develop the platform for accelerating transport sector decarbonization.
• Mott MacDonaldsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 September 2022Technical partnership to progress the Oil and Gas Sector Project, developing science-based target-setting methodologies for O&G companies.
• Mission Possible Partnership (MPP)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2022Joint forces to scale corporate climate action in high-emitting sectors in line with 1.5°C pathway.
• CDPfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-founding partner of SBTi. CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) provides environmental disclosure platform and data that integrates with SBTi target-setting framework.
• UN Global CompactfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-founding partner of SBTi. UN Global Compact promotes corporate sustainability and connects SBTi with thousands of signatory companies.
• World Resources Institute (WRI)foundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-founding partner of SBTi. WRI provides technical expertise and research supporting science-based target methodologies.
• WWFfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-founding partner of SBTi. WWF provides conservation expertise and supports corporate engagement on science-based climate action.
• We Mean Business CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that amplifies SBTi reach through its network of companies committed to climate action.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP is the co-founding partner of SBTi and the world's leading environmental disclosure platform. Both organizations operate the corporate climate transparency ecosystem — CDP collects disclosure data, SBTi validates reduction targets — and share overlapping enterprise customer bases.
• Greenhouse Gas Protocol: GHG Protocol is the foundational global standard for corporate GHG accounting (Scope 1, 2, 3), on which SBTi's target-setting methodology directly builds. Both organizations develop technical climate methodologies used by thousands of corporates and feed into regulatory frameworks.

Emerging players

• South Pole: South Pole is a leading climate solutions provider offering carbon offsetting, advisory, and target-setting services to corporates. It competes with SBTi's network of validation partners and overlaps in helping companies implement science-based decarbonization strategies.
• Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a sustainability consultancy that helps corporates set and implement science-based targets, including SBTi-aligned targets. It sits in SBTi's broader partner ecosystem as a delivery arm for validated companies.
• GFANZ (Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero): GFANZ coordinates financial institution net-zero commitments and increasingly relies on SBTi's Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard for credibility. It is an adjacent network that both feeds SBTi adoption and competes for institutional mindshare.
• EcoAct (A Deloitte Business): EcoAct is a climate consultancy (now part of Deloitte) that supports SBTi target setting, GHG accounting, and net-zero strategy. It is one of many implementation partners that deliver SBTi-aligned services to enterprise customers.
• Climate Action Tracker (CAT): CAT is an independent scientific assessment that tracks government and corporate climate commitments against Paris Agreement alignment. It overlaps with SBTi's role as an independent evaluator of corporate climate action and competes for analytical authority.

Broad incumbents

• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is a global climate consultancy offering certification, advisory, and verification services to corporates and governments. It overlaps with SBTi's validation services and works with many of the same enterprises on science-based decarbonization roadmaps.
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI is the world's most widely used sustainability reporting standard. It complements SBTi (which sets targets) by providing the broader disclosure framework (which reports progress), making it a complementary incumbent in the corporate sustainability stack.
• ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board): ISSB (under IFRS Foundation) develops IFRS S1/S2 mandatory sustainability disclosure standards adopted by regulators globally. It is a broad incumbent in climate disclosure that increasingly intersects with SBTi's voluntary framework and has absorbed the legacy TCFD.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sciencetargets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sciencebasedtargets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-based-targets
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScienceBasedTargets

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Science Based Targets initiative