SBTi Surpasses 6,000 Companies with Validated Science-Based Targets

The number of companies with Science Based Targets initiative-validated emission reduction targets exceeded 6,000 in August 2024, marking a milestone for corporate climate action. Net-zero targets within the total have more than doubled in seven months, crossing 1,000 validated commitments.

Among the 6,000 companies, Professional Services holds the most validated targets at 681, followed by Electronic Equipment and Machinery with 475, Software and Services with 383, and Food and Beverage Processing with 341. Geographically, Europe leads with 3,123 companies, followed by Asia with 1,886 and North America with 709. Japan has the highest single-country count at 1,165, ahead of the UK at 945 and the United States at 627. More than 18 percent of the 6,000 companies, equivalent to 1,112 organisations, used the Corporate Net-Zero Standard to set net-zero-aligned targets.

Asia's strong representation, driven largely by Japan, has supply chain implications for Indian manufacturers and exporters. As Japanese and other Asian companies embed science-based targets across their supplier networks through scope 3 engagement, Indian suppliers in electronics, textiles, chemicals and auto components face growing pressure to quantify and reduce their own emissions. The SBTi milestone comes as the organisation revises its Corporate Net-Zero Standard to improve scope 3 coverage and interoperability with other disclosure and reporting frameworks increasingly adopted in India.

The SBTi announced at the milestone that it is revising the Corporate Net-Zero Standard in line with its Standard Operating Procedure, with the revision focused on aligning with updated climate science, tackling scope 3 challenges, enhancing continuous improvement mechanisms, and improving integration with other standards. A draft of Version 2 was expected for public consultation in the subsequent months, with the revised standard anticipated to come into effect in 2025. Until the revision is finalised, companies were advised to continue using the current version to set their targets.

Key figure — 6,000+ companies with SBTi-validated targets, including 1,000+ net-zero targets