SBTi Opens 30-Day Consultation on Draft 1.5C Pathway for Automakers

The Science Based Targets initiative launched a 30-day public consultation on a draft interim 1.5C target-setting pathway for automakers, open until 10 November 2023. The pathway addresses Scope 3 Category 11 use-phase emissions — the largest share of automakers' emissions — for which no validated 1.5C route previously existed.

Road vehicle carbon emissions reached 5.87 gigatonnes in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency. Automakers' Scope 3 Category 11 use-phase emissions account for the largest share of their total carbon footprint but had been excluded from 1.5C-aligned validation due to the absence of a credible pathway. The SBTi paused validation of automaker targets in 2022 as a result. The draft interim pathway, once finalised, will enable companies in the automotive sector to set 1.5C targets across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 Category 11 and resume validation.

The consultation gave stakeholders an opportunity to shape a critical sectoral framework before its operationalisation. Automakers with commitments expiring within six months of the interim pathway's publication would be required to submit targets within that window to maintain compliance. Existing validated targets would remain compliant under the usual five-year review cycle. The interim pathway was intended as a bridge resource while the SBTi updated its broader Land Transport Guidance to incorporate the new 1.5C method.

Following the consultation, the SBTi committed to assessing all responses before releasing the operational interim pathway. The broader SBTi Land Transport Guidance revision — incorporating the finalised 1.5C approach for automakers — would ultimately supersede the interim pathway. All targets validated under the interim pathway would remain valid thereafter and be subject to the standard five-year review cycle. Companies with existing well-below 2C targets were encouraged to update to 1.5C upon availability of the new resources.

Key figure — 5.87 gigatonnes of CO2 from road vehicles in 2022, per the International Energy Agency