SBTi Gains ISEAL Membership and Opens Technical Council Applications

The Science Based Targets initiative has been approved as an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organisation that defines and promotes good practices for sustainability standards systems. Simultaneously, the SBTi has opened applications for the next term of its independent Technical Council, covering the 2026 to 2029 period, with five new members to be appointed and a submission deadline of 26 February 2026.

ISEAL Community Membership confirms the SBTi's commitment to the ISEAL Credibility Principles for sustainability systems, including transparency, impartiality and continuous improvement. As a Community Member, the SBTi gains access to ISEAL's learning, collaboration and innovation activities to further strengthen its standard-setting processes. The approval adds to a series of governance improvements the SBTi has made in recent years, including formal registration as a UK charity, the establishment of a legally constituted Board of Trustees, a public Standard Operating Procedure for developing standards, and the creation of an independent Technical Council.

The Technical Council is the SBTi's independent technical decision-making body, responsible for reviewing and approving SBTi standards and other normative documents. The new call for applications targets the 2026 to 2029 term, with a staggered rotation model allowing up to two-thirds of current members to be renewed for a second term while five new members are appointed annually. Candidates are sought with extensive climate mitigation and sustainability expertise, representing diverse geographies, sectors and perspectives. The next Council term begins 1 July 2026.

Karin Kreider, ISEAL's Executive Director, welcomed the SBTi's Community Membership, stating that climate science demands urgent action and that the organisation looks forward to working with the SBTi to improve its system and support robust, science-based practice. For markets including India — where regulatory scrutiny of ESG claims is increasing and the credibility of voluntary sustainability standards is under examination — the SBTi's strengthened governance structure provides additional assurance that validated targets meet internationally recognised standards for rigour and independence.

Key figure — February 26, 2026 application deadline for SBTi Technical Council 2026-2029 term