Why this matters
When your customers use our platform to manage their supply chain emissions, they can set minimum requirements for how suppliers like you report and validate your decarbonisation targets. Meeting these requirements signals that your climate commitments are credible, transparent, and externally verified, which is increasingly important to customers managing their own Scope 3 emissions reporting.
This article explains the four compliance levels, what each one means, and how to achieve them.
Background: What is SBTi?
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is an independent global body that enables companies to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in line with climate science, specifically what's needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
An SBTi-aligned target is one that follows SBTi's technical rules and criteria. A validated target is one that SBTi has independently reviewed and officially approved. Validation is widely regarded as the gold standard for corporate climate commitments.
The Four Compliance Levels
Level 1 — SBTi-Aligned Targets
What it means: You have set decarbonisation targets on the platform, and those targets meet SBTi's rules and methodology.
What you need to do:
Log in to the platform and navigate to the Targets section.
Enter your emissions reduction targets, including your baseline year, target year, and scope coverage (Scope 1, 2, and/or 3).
The wizard will assess whether your targets conform to SBTi criteria and flag any issues that need to be addressed.
Resolve any flagged issues until your targets are confirmed as aligned. If you are not sure what has been flagged, see If your target shows as non-compliant below.
Note: At this level, your targets exist on the platform but have not been made public or submitted to SBTi externally. They are visible to customers you have chosen to share them with.
Level 2 — Public SBTi-Aligned Targets
What it means: Your SBTi-aligned targets have been published publicly, for example on your company website, so that anyone can see your commitment.
What you need to do:
Complete all steps for Level 1 first.
Publish your targets publicly. This is typically done by adding them to your company website, annual report, or sustainability page.
Return to the platform and navigate to the Evidence section for your targets.
Enter the URL where your targets are publicly documented.
The platform will store this URL as evidence of your public commitment, making it visible to your customers.
Tips for publishing your targets:
Be specific. Include your baseline year, target year, percentage reduction, and scope coverage.
Make sure the page is publicly accessible (not behind a login).
A dedicated sustainability or ESG page on your website is ideal.
Level 3 — SBTi-Aligned Targets Submitted to SBTi
What it means: You have formally submitted your targets to SBTi for validation. This shows your commitment goes beyond internal alignment, and that you are actively seeking independent verification.
What you need to do:
Complete all steps for Level 1 (and ideally Level 2).
Submit your targets to SBTi directly via the SBTi website. This is an external process conducted outside the platform. Steps include:
Registering your company with SBTi.
Completing SBTi's target submission form and providing the required data.
Paying the applicable submission fee (SBTi operates a tiered fee structure based on company size).
Once submitted, update your targets on the platform to reflect their submitted status, and provide any supporting evidence or confirmation reference from SBTi if prompted.
Note: SBTi's validation process can take several months. Reaching Level 3 recognises that you have taken the step of submitting, even while validation is pending.
Helpful resources:
Level 4 — SBTi-Validated Targets
What it means: SBTi has independently reviewed and approved your targets. This is the highest level of credibility for a corporate decarbonisation commitment.
How to achieve it:
SBTi validation is the outcome of the submission process described in Level 3. Once SBTi approves your targets, they will be published on the SBTi Target Dashboard.
Our platform automatically ingests data from SBTi, so if your validated targets are published there, we will already have them on file. Your compliance level may update automatically once SBTi publishes your approval.
If you believe your targets have been validated but your profile has not updated, please contact our support team.
Tips for a smoother validation process:
Use our platform's automatic alignment check (Level 1) to catch any issues before submitting to SBTi. This can save significant time.
Ensure your Scope 1 and 2 targets cover at least 95% of your total Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
If you have significant Scope 3 emissions (typically >40% of total), SBTi will require a Scope 3 target too.
Consider using SBTi's SME programme if you are a small or medium-sized enterprise, as it offers a simplified pathway.
If your target shows as non-compliant
Get in touch with us rather than reworking your target on a guess.
The status on its own will not always tell you what is missing, and there are cases where it does not reflect the target you have actually set. Rather than have you redo work that may not need redoing, we would prefer to look at it with you.
Email [email protected] with your company name and, if you have one, a screenshot of what you are seeing. We will check your targets directly, tell you exactly what needs to change, and put the status right if it is wrong at our end.
This is usually a short conversation and it is a good deal faster than working it out from the screen.
If you are close to your customer's deadline, say so in your email and copy your customer contact. Deadlines can normally be extended while something is being looked into.
Summary
Level | What's required | Key platform action |
1 | Targets set and SBTi-aligned | Enter targets and make sure validation is aligned |
2 | Targets are publicly available | Submit a public URL as evidence |
3 | Targets submitted to SBTi | Submit externally via SBTi; update your profile |
4 | Targets validated by SBTi | Automatic (via SBTi data feed) |
Need help?
If you have questions about setting your targets, understanding a compliance status, or navigating the four levels, reach out to our support team at [email protected]. We would rather answer a quick question than have you spend time on something we can sort out in a few minutes.
If you need guidance on the SBTi submission process itself, the SBTi website is the best place to start.