What are science-based targets for nature?
Action on nature is a huge business opportunity – and a massive risk to companies if left unaddressed. Shifting to nature-positive business models is a chance to build resilience and lower costs, all while helping protect the ecosystems we depend on.
Science-based targets for nature are measurable, actionable, and time-bound sustainability objectives to steer that shift, based on the best available science. Setting them allows companies to align with Earth’s limits and societal sustainability goals. The methodologies and validation requirements have been developed by the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN).
The target-setting process requires companies to carry out a comprehensive assessment of their impacts on nature and biodiversity to determine where those impacts are significant. They must then decide where to prioritize target-setting and action, based on environmental and societal needs. These essential “assessment” and “prioritization” steps make sure the targets that companies then go on to set are both relevant and credible.
As well as ensuring companies are on the front foot in responding to the nature crisis, adopting science-based targets is critical to building business resilience, boosting investor confidence, and complying with both existing and incoming regulations.
Why validation?
Science-based targets for nature are independently validated by the Accountability Accelerator to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific requirements.
Validation is the process of assessing whether company targets and their target preparation work follow the rules set out by SBTN. It provides companies with confirmation that their nature targets are in line with the best available science, a critical step in assuring the credibility, comparability and robustness of the targets.
With validation, companies can make credible claims about their current impacts on nature, their targets, and the action they plan to take, as well as how they are contributing towards global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Validating targets can also help:
- Build investor and stakeholder confidence by demonstrating a commitment to actionable, measurable and science-aligned sustainability practices.
- Position companies as leaders in this fast-growing space, giving them a competitive edge.
- Make companies better prepared to take action and measure progress towards their nature goals.
READY TO BEGIN YOUR VALIDATION JOURNEY?
How does the process work?
Validators from the Accountability Accelerator will conduct a detailed review of each company’s submissions to ensure that their work has been developed accurately and according to SBTN’s methods.
The first phase of the process is validating companies’ assessments of their most material impacts on nature and the priority areas they have selected for target-setting (SBTN Steps 1 and 2). Companies can then use the validation service to obtain a final stamp of approval on their nature targets (SBTN Step 3). Currently target-setting methods are available for freshwater quantity and quality, and land.
Useful Validation Resources
These documents serve as quick guides in preparation for the validation process. They include both validation requirements and recommendations from SBTN methods and other general requirements that need to be met for successful validation and disclosure.
How can we guarantee the independence and scientific robustness of the validation process?
While the SBTN and Accountability Accelerator are both part of the Global Commons Alliance, we maintain complete organisational independence to carry out the validation process.
To ensure an additional level of transparency and accountability, the validation service is overseen by an expert Integrity Council, fully independent from both the Accountability Accelerator and SBTN. Its sole responsibility is to ensure the integrity, accuracy and scientific robustness of the validation procedure.
Comprised of experts in environmental science, corporate sustainability and policy from around the world, the Integrity Council checks that due process has been followed for each validation, and that final results meet the intent and desired outcome of the target-setting methods developed by the Science Based Targets Network.
Integrity Council
Tereza Bicalho
Tereza Bicalho
Tereza has extensive experience in the land sector and developing technical resources to drive the adoption of science-based targets. She is the Climate Action Specialist at Bureau Veritas, leading the Group’s global climate programs.
Previously, Tereza led the land sector work of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for over three years. She developed deep expertise with the SBTi’s Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance, providing climate and sectoral expertise to the SBTi’s work.
Before the SBTi, Tereza spent nearly a decade researching Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) projects. Her work focused on subjects such as land use change in the Brazilian Amazon, GHG accounting in agriculture, bioenergy impacts, and data quality. She collaborated with a range of organizations, including companies, government agencies, and research institutions.
Christine Carey
Christine Carey
Christine is Chief System Integrity Officer with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). She is responsible for ensuring that the teams, programmes, and processes that underpin how the AWS Standard System is developed and assured are credible, create value for users, and allow measurement and understanding of impacts.
Previously, Christine was a Senior Advisor with several international NGOs and government agencies working across 25+ sustainability standards systems. She has a solid understanding of the complex social, economic, and environmental issues faced by standards and the changing regulatory landscape within which standards operate.
Christine holds an MPhil in Conservation & Development from the University of Cambridge, UK, a B.Sc. in Environmental & Resource Studies from Trent University, Canada, and an Honours Degree in Design & Architecture from Algonquin College, Canada.
Keisha Garcia
Keisha Garcia
Keisha is the ESG Natural Capital Lead at ANSA Merchant Bank Group, headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago. She leads the Group’s ESG Strategy and their Caribbean programme on Natural Capital.
Keisha has 20 years of experience in sustainable development, using research to inform sustainability policy and decisions in both corporate and public sectors. Her expertise includes sustainable finance, biodiversity, climate change, pollution, agriculture, land use, and human rights. Keisha has leadership roles in international initiatives such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), the Global Environmental Outlook of the UN Environment Programme, and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Keisha holds an MPhil in Zoology (specialization in Environmental Toxicology) from the University of the West Indies, and an MPhil in Environment and Development from the University of Cambridge.
Liliana Martínez
Liliana Martínez
Nathanial Matthews
Nathanial Matthews
Nathanial is the Chief Executive Officer at PlanetaryX, a nature-technology social enterprise dedicated to creating financial incentives to protect ecosystems and their services.
With 25 years’ experience in resilience, water, ecosystem, and agricultural programs across 50+ countries, Nate served as CEO at the Global Resilience Partnership and held leadership roles at CGIAR, UNEP, and various non-profits and private sector organizations.
Nate has contributed to various global networks, including serving as a Lead Author in The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
He has a Ph.D. in Geography, is a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, and a Fellow of the Explorer’s Club. He has published two books and over 85 scientific papers and reports.
Daniel Metzger
Daniel Metzger
Daniel is the Director of Advisory Services at AccountAbility, where he advises global clients on sustainability strategy, governance, programs, and reporting and has supported the development of AccountAbility’s AA1000 AccountAbility Principles, AA1000 Assurance Standard, and GHG Assurance Guidance Document. He also serves on the board of the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF), an organization focused on promoting sustainability education in K-12 schools.
Daniel has over 15 years of experience in corporate sustainability, energy management, and LEED buildings, having previously held roles with Tradition Energy and JPMorgan Chase’s Global Real Estate Group. He holds a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Management from Columbia University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science with a Minor in Applied Statistics from the University of Michigan.
Iris Panorel
Iris Panorel
Iris works with the water and pharmaceuticals team at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), leading projects on sustainable supply chains and pharmaceutical procurement, focusing on environmental impacts of antibiotics manufacturing and the risks for development of antibiotic resistance associated with it.
She has over six years of experience in process and quality engineering in the manufacturing industry and more than five years of academic research on advanced wastewater treatment technologies where she authored six scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Iris has extensive experience in wastewater treatment, program management, policy advisory, and stakeholder engagement, contributing to international conferences, workshops, and publications on water sustainability and environmental stewardship.
She holds a Doctor of Science degree in environmental engineering unit operations from Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland, and is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are science-based targets for nature?
Science-based targets for nature are measurable, actionable, and time-bound objectives, based on the best available science, that allow companies to align with Earth’s limits and societal sustainability goals.
Companies that have implemented SBTN methods highlight multiple benefits, from raising the bar on sustainable sourcing and ambition of targets, to driving conversations on capital allocation and integration of nature into business strategy. Companies can also leverage their data gathering and analysis work for other frameworks and disclosure platforms. Learn more on SBTN’s website: https://sciencebasedtargetsnetwork.org/
Before companies begin setting targets, they must first carry out critical groundwork, consisting of an assessment of their most material impacts on nature and a prioritization of locations where impacts occur for target-setting (Step 1 & 2 of SBTN’s framework).
The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has developed methods for materiality assessment and prioritization, and freshwater and land targets, with ocean methods available from March 2025.
Which companies can set science-based targets for nature?
SBTN’s methods are open access and free to use for all companies and organizations. However, validation services are not available for the following:
- Public sector, academic institutions or non-government organizations (SBTN methods were primarily designed for companies).
- Service companies (SBTN methods focus on production and extractive processes, therefore not the best fit for service companies).
- Financial institutions (SBTN is developing guidance specific for financial institutions).
- Oil and gas companies (Some companies in the value chain of the oil and gas sector are allowed to use the service, others must wait for GHG science-based target methods to become available).
More information on eligibility criteria is available in the validation procedure.
What is validation?
Validation is the process of assessing whether company targets and their target preparation work follow the rules set out by SBTN. It provides companies with confirmation that their nature targets are in line with the best available science, a critical step in assuring the credibility, comparability and robustness of the targets.
Validation is carried out by a team of internal and external experts at the Accountability Accelerator, and the process is overseen by an independent Integrity Council.
How will the validation process work?
Validators at the Accountability Accelerator will assess companies’ target-setting groundwork, and targets, to check they are in line with the best available science, as set out in the methods developed by SBTN.
During the validation process the Accountability Accelerator’s validators will conduct an independent and detailed review of company submissions to ensure that companies have consistently and accurately implemented the methods and meet validation requirements.
Companies must first obtain validation of their work to assess their most material impacts on nature and prioritize locations for target-setting (SBTN Steps 1 and 2). Companies can then use the validation service to obtain a final stamp of approval on their nature targets for freshwater and/or land (SBTN Step 3).
The validation process is composed of six steps:
- Registration: Answer an online questionnaire for eligibility screening.
- Submission: Complete the appropriate validation service online forms and upload the required data.
- Screening: Initial completeness check by the validation team.
- Contracting: If approved, contracting and invoicing take place.
- Validation: Expert review, queries, and final decision.
- Publication: Validation results are published, and the company aligns communication plans.
A detailed overview of the validation process is available here.
Can companies choose which aspects of their target-setting work get validated?
SBTN’s validation services provide companies with a structured yet flexible approach to taking meaningful action on nature while ensuring transparency and accountability. For example, through these services, companies can first have their materiality assessment validated, establishing a credible foundation for future target-setting. Additionally, they can choose to focus on specific parts of their organization, enabling a phased approach.
Companies also have the flexibility to set targets in just one realm, such as freshwater, rather than committing to all environmental areas at once.
By offering this adaptable yet rigorous process, SBTN’s validation services support companies in taking credible steps toward science-based targets for nature, ensuring both progress and accountability while allowing companies to align commitments with their strategic priorities.
How is the validation service governed?
The validation service is governed by an independent, expert Integrity Council responsible for ensuring the integrity, accuracy and scientific robustness of the target-validation procedure. The Integrity Council, comprising experts from around the world in environmental science, corporate sustainability and policy, will oversee the governance of the target validation function and approve the operating procedures for validation assessments in compliance with SBTN target-setting methods.
How much does target validation cost?
Like other sustainability initiatives such as the Science Based Targets initiative, the Accountability Accelerator will charge a fee to cover the costs of conducting detailed, expert-led technical assessments and to support continuous improvements in its validation services. As a nonprofit, the Accountability Accelerator strives to keep these fees reasonable to ensure accessibility for companies while maintaining quality and rigour in the validation process.
Validation lends essential credibility, consistency, and comparability to science-based target-setting for nature. The process gives companies and their stakeholders the assurance that they are targeting the right actions, in the right places, at the right time.
Validation allows companies to credibly demonstrate their contribution and progress towards global policy milestones including the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Validation fees for 2025 can be viewed here. These fees have been established after initial testing of the validation process during SBTN’s pilot in 2024. However, these are subject to review in future as the Accountability Accelerator continues to test the process and gather user feedback, with the goal of improving services over time and making the service self-sustained.
How long does the validation process take?
The validation part of the process aims to take nine weeks to complete and follows a rigorous procedure of review, feedback and sign-off following best practices on assurance. These timings are indicative and will be refined over time. These timings do not include the initial registration, screening and contracting parts of the validation process.
How will the Accountability Accelerator be ensuring security of company data?
We are using a new, state-of-the-art validation platform to validate company data. The platform is enabled by 3rdRisk Cloud Platform, and has been developed over the past year with the support of Deloitte Netherlands. The platform is designed to digitize the entire process of data submission, validation, assessment and feedback, providing a robust, secure and user-friendly solution for validators and companies.
How will you manage potential conflicts of interest with consultancies providing validation services?
Experts from consulting firms EBP Schweiz AG and ETIFOR will support the Accountability Accelerator’s team in carrying out target validations.
The Accountability Accelerator has developed a conflict of interest policy to define, identify, and manage conflicts of interest that may arise during the validation activities. The goal is to ensure that all validation activities are conducted with the highest degree of integrity and objectivity, and that the process is free from bias or the perception thereof.
Will company targets be made public?
A target tracker is available on SBTN’s website, listing details of all current approved targets that have been made public. Publication is voluntary, though companies are encouraged to make their targets public in order to promote transparency and accountability.
Companies cannot make claims about having obtained validation of their science-based targets for nature work, without first agreeing for their validation outcomes to be published on the target tracker.
Companies must read and use the Claims Guidance throughout the duration of their published targets.
Contact Us
Please email us any queries about the validation services.
For technical questions on science-based targets for nature, contact the Science Based Targets Network.
