SBTi Releases Updated Transport Guidance Enabling Automakers to Set 1.5C Targets

The Science Based Targets initiative released updated Land Transport Guidance that for the first time gives automakers a pathway to align Scope 3 use-phase vehicle emissions with a 1.5C trajectory. Automakers setting science-based targets must now also commit to phasing out new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035 in leading markets.

The updated guidance covers Scope 3 Category 11 use-phase emissions — those generated when customers drive vehicles — which represent the largest share of automakers' total emissions. Companies committing to science-based targets under the new criteria must sign the international Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration and pledge to end sales of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and vans by 2035 in leading markets including Europe, the Asia-Pacific, USA, Canada and Japan, and globally by 2040 or earlier. The SBTi simultaneously lifted its temporary pause on validating automaker targets, which had been in effect since 2022 due to the absence of a viable 1.5C pathway for Category 11.

Private cars and vans accounted for more than 25% of global oil use and approximately 10% of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022. Air pollution from diesel and petrol vehicles caused an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019. As Asia-Pacific markets, including India, remain central to global automotive production and sales volumes, the SBTi's updated guidance has direct implications for manufacturers operating in or exporting to those regions, particularly as regulatory pressure on vehicle emissions tightens.

The updated Land Transport Guidance is an interim measure while the SBTi develops a dedicated Automotive Standard. A call for applications to join an Expert Advisory Group for the new standard was due to open shortly after the guidance release. Existing automaker targets validated prior to the update remain compliant and subject to the standard five-year review cycle. Companies with commitments expiring within six months of the guidance release were required to submit targets within that period to remain compliant.

Key figure — 10% of global energy-related CO2 emissions from private cars and vans in 2022