SBTi Launches Academy Platform and Certified Expert Credential

The Science Based Targets initiative announced the launch of the SBTi Academy, a new learning platform offering training and certification for professionals working on science-based climate target setting. The platform also introduces a formal certification process for SBTi Certified Experts, aimed at establishing recognized proficiency standards for the growing field of corporate decarbonization target setting.

The SBTi Academy is structured across three hubs catering to different experience levels. The Onboarding Hub provides free beginner training introducing the science-based targets framework and foundational technical concepts. The Practitioners Hub offers advanced premium training for sustainability professionals across strategy, operations, procurement, and reporting, covering topics including GHG Protocol methodology and corporate near-term and net zero targets. The Certification Hub serves as an assessment center for the SBTi Certified Expert designation, targeting specialists who advise companies on science-based target setting.

The launch comes as global demand for sustainability skills outstrips available expertise, driven by mandatory reporting requirements in the EU and voluntary commitments by thousands of companies. The SBTi currently validates corporate near-term and net-zero emissions reduction targets aligned with climate science and maintains the corporate net-zero standard published in 2021, with an updated version — Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2 — currently in development. The certification establishes a benchmark for professional competency in a field that lacks formal accreditation pathways.

For India, where the number of companies setting science-based targets has grown substantially in recent years, accessible training in SBTi target setting methodology addresses a genuine skills gap. The free Onboarding Hub makes foundational knowledge available to sustainability teams in smaller companies and in markets where advanced professional training remains limited. The platform's scalability as an online resource means it can support the large volumes of companies that will need to navigate target setting as reporting requirements and investor expectations continue to tighten globally.

Key figure — SBTi founded in 2015; Corporate Net-Zero Standard published in 2021