Near-term target
In the Science Based Targets initiative framework, a near-term target is a science-based greenhouse gas emissions-reduction target covering a company’s next five to ten years. It translates longer-term climate ambition into an immediate, time-bound pathway, with scope, boundary, base year, target year, and reduction requirements determined by the applicable SBTi criteria and standard version.
In simple terms
Near-term target is not a universal label for any corporate goal due within a few years. It is a Science-based target with a specific meaning within the Science Based Targets initiative. An organization develops targets for the relevant emissions scopes and categories using SBTi methods, submits them for validation where applicable, and reports progress against the approved base and target years. Near-term targets are intended to drive substantial emissions reductions before the organization reaches its longer-term net-zero target date. Requirements can change when SBTi updates its standards, so users should identify the version, validation status, organizational boundary, and covered emissions rather than relying on the phrase alone.
Why it matters
Long-dated climate commitments can defer action. A credible near-term target creates an earlier milestone against which capital plans, operational changes, supplier engagement, and annual emissions performance can be evaluated. Its value depends on the target’s coverage and ambition and on real reductions; the label does not make unrelated targets SBTi-aligned or compensate for omitted emissions.
Example
A company calculates its greenhouse gas inventory, selects an SBTi-compliant base year, sets reductions for the required scopes over the permitted near-term period, and submits the target for validation. It then reports annual progress and updates operational plans when emissions are off track. A self-selected 2030 aspiration that has not followed the SBTi framework should not be described as an SBTi near-term target.
How it differs
Science-based target
Science-based target is the broader class of targets aligned with climate science; near-term target is the SBTi-specific target type covering the next five to ten years under the applicable SBTi rules.
References
Current status
- As of
- Issuer
- Science Based Targets initiative
- Jurisdiction
- Global voluntary framework
- Instrument or version
- SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0
- Status
- This record follows the SBTi standards and Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 available on 2026-08-13.
Applicability: Near-term target is SBTi terminology. The applicable scope, boundary, timeframe, ambition, and validation requirements depend on the SBTi criteria and standard version used by the organization.