SBTi Recruits Experts to Revise Timber and Wood Fibre Emissions Pathway

The Science Based Targets initiative has opened applications for a technical partner and expert working group members to support the revision of its Timber and Wood Fibre emissions pathway, with applications due by 28 April 2025 and 21 April 2025 respectively. The revision will introduce both updated near-term targets and a new long-term target-setting method for the forest and paper products sector.

SBTi is revising its Timber and Wood Fibre pathway to help companies across the forest and paper products sector, and those reliant on wood-derived products, set ambitious science-based targets covering land-based emissions from forestry production. The project requires a technical partner with expertise in greenhouse gas accounting, forestry emissions, land-use data analysis, and climate target-setting methodologies. Independent contractors, academic institutions, and consultancy firms are encouraged to apply via the published Request for Proposals.

Forestry plays a dual role in the climate system—serving as both a source of emissions through deforestation and land-use change, and as a carbon sink through sustainable management and reforestation. Establishing a credible, science-based pathway for the timber and wood fibre sector is therefore important not only for corporate target-setting but for global land-use climate accounting more broadly. India, with substantial forest cover and a growing commercial forestry and paper industry, stands to benefit from clearer guidance on science-based land-use target-setting.

In addition to the technical partner, SBTi is seeking expert working group members from business, financial institutions, academia, research organisations, non-profits, civil society, and multilateral bodies. EWG members serve in a voluntary advisory capacity over the project's duration. Applications closed on 21 April 2025 for EWG members, with the technical partner application deadline extended to 28 April 2025. The project follows SBTi's Standard Operating Procedure for Development of Standards and aims to equip businesses with tools to accelerate forestry sector decarbonisation.

Key figure — April 28, 2025 extended deadline for technical partner applications