ESG compliance
A 1.5°C target means 4.2% every year
Not on average, and not eventually. Model the pathway, see what it asks of you, then build the inventory that can prove you walked it.
Minimum 4.2% absolute reduction per year, linear method.
Linear annual reduction against the base year. Scope 3 targets, coverage thresholds, and validation criteria are set by the SBTi and are not modelled here.
The calculator applies the linear annual reduction method for orientation. Sector pathways, coverage thresholds, and validation criteria are set by the SBTi. Setting a target does not itself reduce emissions.
What a submission actually rests on
The target is the easy part to write. The inventory underneath it is what determines whether it survives contact with a reviewer.
The target lives or dies in Scope 3
For most companies, the majority of emissions sit with suppliers. A credible pathway means moving data, and then moving suppliers.
Measure it honestly
Spend-based estimates are a starting point, not a target baseline. Know which categories are estimates and which are evidence.
Engage the few that matter
A small number of suppliers usually carry most of the footprint. Start there rather than surveying everyone.
Track the trajectory, not the pledge
Progress is the annual reduction actually achieved against the base year, recorded each year.
Questions about science-based targets
What is a science-based target?
A greenhouse gas reduction target consistent with what climate science says is needed to limit warming. The Science Based Targets initiative sets the criteria and validates targets against them.
How fast do we have to reduce?
Under the linear annual reduction method, a 1.5°C-aligned near-term target requires an absolute reduction of at least 4.2% per year against the base year. A well-below 2°C pathway requires a lower annual rate.
How long should the target run?
Near-term targets cover a period of five to ten years from the base year. Long-term targets extend to net zero, which requires deep absolute reductions before any residual emissions are neutralised.
Do we need a Scope 3 target?
A Scope 3 target is expected where value-chain emissions are a significant share of your total. For most companies they are the largest share by far, which makes supplier data the deciding factor.
What is the base year for?
It is the reference point every reduction is measured against. It needs a complete, verifiable inventory, and a policy for recalculating it if the business changes shape through acquisition or disposal.
Does ESGen validate our target?
No. Validation is carried out by the SBTi against their own criteria. ESGen builds the inventory, models the pathway, and organises the evidence you would submit.
Is the calculator our actual target?
No. It applies the linear annual reduction method for orientation. Coverage thresholds, sector pathways, and validation criteria are set by the SBTi and are not modelled here.
Start your journey now
See how ESGen builds the inventory a science-based target has to stand on.