Technical note on science-based targets
CDP Corporate QuestionnaireContents

TECHNICAL NOTE ON SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS .................................................................. 1
CONTENTS .................................................................................................................................... 2
VERSION ....................................................................................................................................... 3
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.1 ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT ............................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 THE NEED FOR SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS.................................................................................................... 4
1.3 SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS IN CDP’S CORPORATE QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................... 4

2. REPORTING SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS TO CDP................................................................ 5
3. HOW SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS ARE SCORED IN THE 2024 CDP CORPORATEQUESTIONNAIRE .......................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 NEAR-TERM AND LONG-TERM SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS .............................................................................. 8

3.2 NET-ZERO SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS ................................................................................................... 15

3.3 SBT PORTFOLIO TARGETS ................................................................................................................... 15

3 ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .........................................................17
4 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................... 19
LINEAR VS. COMPOUNDED REDUCTIONS ......................................................................................................... 19

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Version
Version

Revision date

Revision summary

1.0

February, 2017

First published version

2.0

March 15, 2018

Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2018 CDP
climate change questionnaire information/timeline.

3.0

February 28, 2019

Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2019 CDP
climate change questionnaire information/timeline.

4.0

March 31, 2020

Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2020 CDP
climate change questionnaire and scoring methodology
information/timeline.

4.1

April 14, 2020

SBTi submission deadline updated and links to the 2020 CDP
climate change scoring methodology added.

5.0

April 9, 2021

Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2021 CDP
climate change questionnaire and scoring methodology
information/timeline.

5.1

May 27, 2021

Updated with most recent 2021 scoring criteria

6.0

March 18, 2022

7.0

March 23, 2023

8.0

June 28, 2024

Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2022 CDP
climate change questionnaire information/timeline.
Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2023 CDP
climate change questionnaire information.
Updated with most recent SBTi-related information and 2024 CDP
Corporate questionnaire information.

Copyright © CDP Worldwide 2024
All rights reserved. Copyright in this document is owned by CDP Worldwide, a registered charity number
1122330 and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England number 05013650.
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1. Introduction
1.1 About this document
This technical note provides guidance on science-based targets in CDP’s corporate questionnaire.
This document is supplemental to the CDP corporate reporting guidance, CDP corporate scoring
methodology, and the most up to date resources available from the Science Based Targets Initiative,
including the process to set science-based targets, which should also be reviewed before
responding. If organizations have any questions, comments or suggestions about the content of thisdocument they can contact their CDP account manager or e-mail info@sciencebasedtargets.org.

1.2 The need for science-based targets
Science-based targets (SBTs) provide organizations with a clearly defined pathway that specifies
how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris
Agreement in 2015 saw nearly 200 of the world’s governments commit to prevent dangerous climatechange by limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This signaled an accelerationin the transition to a low-carbon economy. Many organizations are already demonstrating they havethe skills, expertise and ingenuity to make this a reality – but need ambitious emissions reduction
targets that ensure the transformational action they take is aligned with what current climate sciencesays is needed for the transition to a net-zero economy.

1.3 Science-based targets in CDP’s Corporate Questionnaire
CDP recognizes that science-based targets represent best practices in target setting and isincentivizing and rewarding their adoption through scoring. Organizations demonstrating climate
action and leadership in this regard are recognized for their efforts. The , of which CDP is a partner,
champions science-based target setting as a powerful way of boosting companies’ competitive
advantage in the transition to a low-carbon economy. CDP is committed to contributing to the SBTi’svision that science-based target setting will become standard business practice. The CDP corporate
questionnaire is a critical component of two strategic pillars of the initiative – institutionalizing the
adoption of science-based emission reduction targets, and creating a critical mass of companies
with science-based targets.Science Based Targets initiative, of which CDP is a partner, champions
science-based target setting as a powerful way of boosting organizations’ competitive advantage inthe transition to a low-carbon economy. CDP is committed to contributing to the SBTi’s vision thatscience-based target setting will become standard business practice. The CDP Corporate
Questionnaire is a critical component of two strategic pillars of the initiative – institutionalizing the
adoption of science-based emission reduction targets, and creating a critical mass of companies
with science-based targets.

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2. Reporting science-based targets to CDPThis section addresses best practices for reporting science-based targets to CDP.
Which approved science-based targets should organizations or financial institutions include
in their CDP disclosures?
Organizations or financial institutions with approved science-based targets can publicly report theiremissions inventory and progress against their targets to CDP to fulfill the annual reporting criterion
for approved science-based targets. If an organization does so, it should report all approved sciencebased targets in its CDP disclosure to fulfill the reporting criterion.
How should organizations report near-term and long-term SBTs?
To ensure organizations receive leadership points for reported near-term SBTs, all identifying target
details should match the science-based targets approved by the SBTi: scope(s) and category(ies)covered, base year, target year, target value, target type (absolute, intensity, renewable electricity,
supplier engagement).
According to the target type, science-based target(s) should be reported in the section corresponding
to Targets in Module 7 (Environmental Performance - Climate Change) of the Corporate
Questionnaire.
• Absolute emissions science-based target(s)in Question 7.53.1• Emissions intensity science-based target(s)in Question 7.53.2• Renewable energy science-based target(s) in Question 7.54.1• Supplier / customer engagement science-based target(s)in Question 7.54.2•• Net-zero science-based target(s) in Question 7.54.3• Portfolio science-based target(s) in Question 7.53.4
Organizations should report the base year covered emissions or base year intensity figure
corresponding only to the emissions covered by the target approved by the SBTi. Likewise,organizations should report the emissions in the reporting year or intensity figure in the reporting
year corresponding only to the emissions covered by the target approved by the SBTi.
As part of the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, the SBTi presents a reporting guidance that
presents recommendations and best practices on how businesses, including SMEs, are expected to
publicly report their GHG emissions inventory and annual progress against their published sciencebased targets.
I am an rgsnization with an approved Scope 3 SBT. Do I need to report this target in my CDP
disclosure?
Yes – to fulfill the reporting criterion for SBTi-approved targets through CDP disclosure,organizations should report all approved targets in their CDP disclosures. The SBTi validation
service does not currently classify the ambition of Scope 3 targets, so in most cases companies
organizations should select “Other, please specify” in the Target ambition field.
Does recalculation of a target base year inventory affect how organizations should report?
Science-based targets should be recalculated and resubmitted to the SBTi for validation, to reflectsignificant changes that could compromise the relevance and consistency of the existing target. Thisapplies when the change falls into any of the cases that would trigger a target recalculation according
to the SBTi Standards and Guidance Resources. In these cases, organizations should resubmit andrevalidate their target. Furthermore, science-based targetsmust be reviewed, at a minimum, every 5
years to ensure consistency with the latest SBTi criteria. If targets do not meet SBTi criteria, thenthey shall be updated and revalidated

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CDP reserves the right to perform due diligence to ensure that reported targets correspond to
approved SBTs at the moment of the CDP disclosure. This may include verifying that the base year
covered emissions or emissions intensity matches the base year emissions data submitted to the
SBTi during target validation. Organizations should ensure that any targets reported to CDP match
the publicly reported and SBTi-approved target(s).
When a science-based target has gone through a target revalidation due to a triggered target
recalculation, a part of the submission of new targets, or as part of the mandatory target review, anda new target has been validated by the SBTi, we recommend the following for reporting in the CDP
Corporate Questionnaire:• Indicate the target status in reporting year as “Revised” only for the reporting year the update
was conducted. After this reporting exercise, the status can transition to Underway.
• Note the reasons for the revision and replacement in the corresponding column.
• If an organization• When a target revalidation due to a triggered recalculation occurs, we encourageorganizations to restate the emissions data for past reporting years supplied to, indicating
the number of past reporting years of emissions data the organization will be providing andalso indicate the restated reporting years of emissions data and reasons for restating in thecorresponding questions.
When an organization recalculated the target base year inventory of an existing SBT due to otherreasons (e.g. not significant adjustment to the base year inventory), the organization may follow thesame recommendations.
Can I report a combined scope science-based target as the disaggregated portions of thetarget, or report more than one science-based targets as a combined scope target?
Organizations should reportscience-based targets at the level of disaggregation communicated in
the approved target language on the SBTi website (Target dashboard).
• Multiple targets: Organizations with multiplescience-based targets should report each SBT
separately. For example, an organization with an SBT covering Scope 1 + 2 and an SBT
covering Scope 3 should report two targets in their CDP disclosure and should not combine
the two into a single target.
• Combined scope targets: Organization with combined scope targets should report with thesame level of disaggregation as the approved target. Additionally, organizations withapprovedscience-based targets covering Scope 1 + 2 + 3 should report the Scope 1 + 2
portion and the Scope 3 portion in addition to the combined target.
• Further disaggregation: Organizations may additionally report targets at an even greaterlevel of disaggregation (e.g., report an SBT covering Scope 1 + 2 and optionally report the
Scope 1 portion and Scope 2 portion).
How should organizations report net-zero targets approved by the SBTi?
Net-zero targets may be reported in question 7.54.3. To ensure organizations receive leadershippoints for reported net-zero targets, all identifying target details should match the net-zero targets
approved by the SBTi: target coverage, target year, and the near-term and long-term targets linked
to the reported net-zero target. If you intend to report a net-zero target, you should report both thenear-term and long-term target(s) associated with your net-zero target and link them to your net
zero target in the corresponding column. At least one of the near-term emissions target should havethe same target year as the net-zero target.
Organizations are encouraged to make a commitment to set a Net-Zero target via the SBTi.
Organizations can find out more about how to make this commitment on the SBTi website.
How should financial institutions report near-term portfolio targets approved by the SBTi?
Portfolio targets may be reported in 7.53.4. To ensure financial institutions receive managementlevel points for reported portfolio targets, all identifying target details should match the portfolio target

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approved by the SBTi. See the latest SBTi guidance for the financial sector for further details of what
is required for setting a target on investment and lending activities.
How should organizations report targets approved by the SBTi that cover land-related CO2
emissions, including Forestry, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) targets and non-FLAG targets
with bioenergy?
Absolute and intensity targets covering land-related CO2 emissions may be reported in asbolute andintensity emissions target(s) section, respectively. Indicate in column “Does this target cover any
land-related CO2 emissions?” the description applicable to the affected target.
• Yes, it covers land-related emissions only (e.g. FLAG SBT) – Select this option if yourtarget only covers GHG emissions related to land and agriculture and excludes emissions
and removals associated with bioenergy, in line with SBTi guidance. Organizations thathave followed the SBTi Forests, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance to set their target
should select this option. This option will primarily be applicable to organizations in the
Agricultural Commodities, Food, Beverage & Tobacco, and Paper & Forestry CDP sectors.
• Yes, it covers land-related and non-land related emissions (e.g. SBT approved before
the release of FLAG target-setting guidance) – Select this option if your target covers
both GHG emissions related to land and agriculture and non-land related emissions fromenergy/industry. This option will be primarily applicable to organizations in the Agricultural
Commodities, Food, Beverage & Tobacco and Paper and Forestry CDP sectors whosetarget was approved by the SBTi before the release of the SBTi FLAG target-setting
guidance.
• Yes, it covers land-related CO2 emissions/removals associated with bioenergy andnon-land related emissions (e.g. non-FLAG SBT with bioenergy) – Select this option if
your target covers CO2 emissions from the combustion, processing and distribution phaseof bioenergy and/or land use emissions and removals associated with bioenergy
feedstocks, in addition to non-land related emissions from energy/industry. This option
could apply to organizations in any CDP sector with a target that includes emissions frombioenergy.
• No, it does not cover any land-related emissions (e.g. non-FLAG SBT) – Select thisoption if your target only covers non-land related emissions from energy/industry.
If you select any “Yes…” option, specify the types of land-related emissions covered by the target inthe “Please explain target coverage and identify any exclusions” column.

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3.

How science-based targets are scored in the 2024
CDP Corporate questionnaire

3.1 Near-term and long-term science-based targets
Near-term and long–term science-based targets will be scored in questions 7.53.1 and 7.53.2 for 1)
Disclosure and Awareness level points 2) Management points and 3) Leadership points. All
organizations, regardless of sector, are eligible to earn full points in each level of scoring.
Disclosure and Awareness level points
Disclosure points are awarded per completed cell in proportion to the number of rows disclosed witha maximum of 14 points available.
Awareness points can be obtained by answering the column “Is this a science-based target?” in
7.53.1 and 7.53.2. Organizations may report multiple targets in the tables in 7.53.1 and, 7.53.2, andselect different dropdown options for each target. Please note that the sum of all responses to "Is
this a science-based target?" can only receive a maximum of 1 Awareness point in total.

•

Dropdown options

Awareness points

Yes, and this target has been approved by the
Science Based Targets initiative

1

Yes, we consider this a science-based target, andthe target is currently being reviewed by the Science
Based Targets initiative

1

Yes, we consider this a science-based target, andwe have committed to seek validation of this target
by the Science Based Targets initiative in the next
two years

1

Yes, we consider this a science-based target, but wehave not committed to seek validation of this target
by the Science Based Targets initiative within thenext two years

0No, but we are reporting another target that isscience-based

1

No, but we anticipate setting one in the next two
years

0.5

No, and we do not anticipate setting one in the next
two years

0

Guidance on selecting the appropriate dropdown option is described below. This technical note
provides more details than the CDP corporate reporting guidance. Organizations with activities in
the oil and gas sector for which there is no available sector methodology to determine whether atarget is science-based should select the most appropriate ‘No…” option in this column. For more
information on sector-specific requirements, consult the latest version of the SBTi criteria.

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 Yes, and this target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative• Organizations are very strongly encouraged to have their targets officially validated by the
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). CDP considers targets approved by the initiative
to reflect best practices in science-based target setting. Select this option only if the target
has been officially approved by the SBTi by the CDP scoring deadline. This includes current
organization targets that were approved for previous CDP questionnaires.
 Yes, we consider this a science-based target, and the target is currently being reviewed by the
Science-based target initiative• If your organization has set a target and has self-assessed it to be sciencebased, and it has been submitted to the SBTi for validation and is currently being reviewed
by the SBTi, you should select this option. You should use the “Please explain target
coverage and identify any exclusions” column to explain why you believe your target to bescience-based.
 Yes, we consider this a science-based target, and we have committed to seek validation ofthis target by the Science-based target initiative in the next two years• Not all organizations have had their target assessed by the SBTi. If your organization has
set a target and has self-assessed it to be science-based but has not yet submitted it to the
SBTi for validation, you should select this option. You should use the “Please explain target
coverage and identify any exclusions” column to explain why you believe your target to bescience-based. If you are currently in the process of revising your target to meet SBTi
criteria, indicate this by selecting “No, but we anticipate setting one in the next 2 years.
• Organizations that have science-based Scope 1 and 2 targets but do not have an approved
Scope 3 target can earn awareness points. These include organizations that are part ofsectors the SBTi is currently unable to validate due to the lack of sector-specific Scope 3
guidance (i.e. oil and gas organizations). Please note that the SBTi cannot assessorganizations who have activities in their value chain related to fossil fuels (involved in saleor distribution) if these activities represent more than 50% of their revenue, until the GHG
reduction requirements for these organizations are clarified under the SBTi's ongoing oil &gas sector development. These organizations should report their Scope 1 and 2 targets on
separate rows from their Scope 3 targets and select this dropdown option for Scopes 1 and2.
 Yes, we consider this a science-based target, but we have not committed to seek validation ofthis target by the Science Based Targets initiative within the next two years•

Not all organizations intend to have their target assessed by the SBTi. If yourorganization has set a target and has self-assessed it to be science-based but has not
yet committed to submit it to the SBTi for validation, you should select this option. You
should use the “Please explain target coverage and identify any exclusions” column toexplain why you believe your target to be science-based.

•

If you are a supplier to a organization with a supplier engagement target, as part of which
you have set a target in line with SBTi resources but are not planning to seek SBTiapproval, select this option.

 No, but we are reporting another target that is science-based• Another target (absolute or intensity-based) disclosed in 7.53.1 or 7.53.2 is science-based(at least one of the first two options above should be selected for another target).
 No, but we anticipate setting one in the next 2 years

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• Though not required, it is highly recommended that the organization publicly communicate
their commitment by submitting the SBTi commitment letter. Organizations have two years
from the date they sign a commitment letter to submit their target to the SBTi for approval.
 No, and we do not anticipate setting one in the next 2 years• The organization has no plans to set a science-based target in the next 2 years.
Management level points
Management level points can be obtained through either two routes:a) SBTi Route: if the target has been officially validated by the SBTi before the CDP
Scoring deadline, the target will be eligible for points via this route.
b) CDP route: Management points can be obtained with information disclosed in questions
7.53.1 and 7.53.2 in the corporate questionnaire. Please consult the 2024 Corporate
Scoring Methodology for more information.
Leadership level points
Science-based targets can also earn up to 3 Leadership level points, equivalent to 6% of anorganization’s final Leadership level score, through either of the two routes below.
a) SBTi Route: If the target has been officially validated by the SBTi before the CDP Scoring
deadline, the target will be eligible for points along this route. The additional criteria required
to be met in order to obtain the full 3 Leadership points on the SBTi route can be found in the
CDP 2024 Corporate Scoring Methodology. Please note criteria for Financial services, Oil &Gas, and Electric utilities, Coal, Capital Goods, Transport OEMS and Transport OEMS-EPM
may differ from the General criteria. Targets that received Leadership points in the 2022
scoring cycle may also be eligible for points if they meet the additional Leadership criteria
newly introduced in 2023. Targets disclosed in 2022 must be redisclosed in 2023 andthese targets must be consistently reported across the two years.
b) CDP Route: Leadership points can be obtained with information disclosed in question
7.53.1 only. These targets are not necessarily considered science based. Please consult the
CDP 2024 Corporate Scoring Methodology for more information. Please note criteria for
Financial services, Oil & Gas, Electric utilities, Coal, Capital Goods, Transport OEMS andTransport OEMS-EPM may differ from the General scoring criteria. Absolute targets will beassessed cumulatively for Leadership points.
The table below outlines the differences between these routes for the General scoring methodology.
For more information on the SBTi criteria, in particular on their accompanying recommendations,please refer to the SBTi criteria and recommendations. This is version 5.0 of the SBTi criteria whichis in effect and mandatory for new target validation submissions as of July 15th, 2022.

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TopicBoundary

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SBTi criteria (Version 5.0)

CDP criteria

If the target is officially approved by
the SBTi, 3 leadership points areawarded.

If all the below are met, 2.75
leadership points are awarded. If all
except the criteria marked with an *are met, 1.75 leadership points areawarded.

••Targets must cover both Scope
1 and 2 emissions.

•

The “Covered emissions inbase year as % of total baseyear emissions in selected
Scope(s) (or Scope 3
category)” is 95% or higher ofboth Scope 1+2 emissions•

Organization-wide' is selectedin column 'Target coverage'

C1 — Organizational boundary:
It is recommended thatcompanies submit targets only at
the parent- or group-level, not at
the subsidiary level. Parent
companies must include theemissions of all subsidiaries intheir target submission, in
accordance with boundary
criteria above.

•

C2 — Greenhouse gases: Thetargets must cover all relevant
GHGs as required per the GHG
Protocol Corporate Standard.

•

C3 — Scope 1 and scope 2: Thetargets must cover companywide scope 1 and scope 2
emissions, as defined by the
GHG Protocol Corporate
Standard.

•

C5 — Scope 1 and 2 significancethresholds: Companies may
exclude up to 5% of scope 1 andscope 2 emissions combined in
the boundary of the inventory
and target.

•

C10 — Bioenergy accounting:CO2 emissions from the
combustion, processing anddistribution phase of bioenergy
and the land use emissions andremovals associated withbioenergy feedstocks, shall bereported alongside a company’s
GHG inventory. Furthermore,
CO2 emissions from the
combustion, processing anddistribution phase of bioenergy
and the land use emissions andremovals associated withbioenergy feedstocks shall be
included in the target boundary
when setting a science-basedtarget (in scopes 1, 2, and/or 3,
as relevant) and when reporting
progress against that target.

@cdp | www.cdp.net

TopicTimeframe

Ambition

Scope 3

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SBTi criteria (Version 5.0)

CDP criteria

If the target is officially approved by
the SBTi, 3 leadership points areawarded.

If all the below are met, 2.75
leadership points are awarded. If all
except the criteria marked with an *are met, 1.75 leadership points areawarded.

•C13 — Base and target years:
Targets must cover a minimum of
5 years and a maximum of 10
years from the date the target issubmitted to the SBTi forvalidation. The choice of baseyear must be no earlier than
2015.

•

Has a time frame where ‘Target
year’ is between 5 and 10 morethan the ‘Year target was set’inclusive.

•

C14 — Progress to date: The
minimum forward-looking
ambition of targets is consistent
with reaching net-zero by 2050,
assuming a linear absolute
reduction, linear intensity
reduction, or intensity
convergence between the mostrecent year and 2050 (notincreasing absolute emissions or
intensity).

•

C15 — Level of ambition for
scope 1 and 2 targets: At aminimum, scope 1 and scope 2
targets must be consistent withthe level of decarbonization
required to keep global
temperature increase to 1.5°C
compared to pre-industrial
temperatures.

•

The targets meet a 4.2%
absolute emissions linear
reduction between ‘Base yearand ‘Target year’.

•Please see Appendix in section
6 for more information on linear
reductions.

•

If Scope 3 emissions contributeto greater than 40% of overall
reported emissions a target,
covering at least 67% ofreported emissions in relevant
Scope 3 categories is reported*
The target coverage iscompany-wide*
Full Disclosure points havebeen awarded in question 7.8*•

C16 — Absolute targets:
Absolute reductions must be atleast as ambitious as theminimum of the approved rangeof emissions scenarios
consistent with the 1.5°C goal.

•

C17 — Intensity targets: Intensity
targets for scope 1 and scope 2
emissions are only eligible when
they are modelled using anapproved 1.5°C sector pathway
applicable to companies’
business activities.

•

C4 — Requirement to have ascope 3 target: If a company’s
relevant scope 3 emissions are
40% or more of total scope 1, 2,
and 3 emissions, a scope 3
target is required. All companies
involved in the sale or distributionof natural gas and/or other fossil
fuels shall set scope 3 targets forthe use of sold products,••
OR@cdp | www.cdp.net

Topic

SBTi criteria (Version 5.0)

CDP criteria

If the target is officially approved by
the SBTi, 3 leadership points areawarded.

If all the below are met, 2.75
leadership points are awarded. If all
except the criteria marked with an *are met, 1.75 leadership points areawarded.

irrespective of the share of theseemissions compared to the total
scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions of
the company.
•

C6 — Scope 3 emissions
coverage for near-term targets:
Companies must set one or more
emission reduction targets and/or
supplier or customer
engagement targets thatcollectively cover(s) at least twothirds (67%) of total scope 3
emissions considering theminimum boundary of eachscope 3 category in conformancewith the GHG Protocol Corporate
Value Chain (Scope 3)
Accounting and ReportingStandard.

•

If Scope 3 emissions contributeto less than 40% of totalreported emissions. Fullmanagement points awarded inquestion 7.8*

C13 — Base and target years:
Targets must cover a minimumof 5 years and a maximum of 10
years from the date the target issubmitted to the SBTi forvalidation. The choice of baseyear must be no earlier than
2015.

Page 13 of 19•

C18 — Level of ambition for
scope 3 emissions reductions
targets: At a minimum, near-term
scope 3 targets (covering theentire value chain or individual
scope 3 categories) must bealigned with methods consistent
with the level of decarbonization
required to keep global
temperature increase well-below
2°C compared to pre-industrial
temperatures.

•

C19 — Supplier or customer
engagement targets: Near-termtargets to drive the adoption ofscience-based emission
reduction targets by their
suppliers and/or customers are inconformance with SBTi criteria
when the conditions of boundary,formulation, timeframe, and levelof ambition are met.

•

C22 — Fossil fuel sales or
distribution: All companies@cdp | www.cdp.net

Topic

SBTi criteria (Version 5.0)

CDP criteria

If the target is officially approved by
the SBTi, 3 leadership points areawarded.

If all the below are met, 2.75
leadership points are awarded. If all
except the criteria marked with an *are met, 1.75 leadership points areawarded.

involved in the sale or distributionof natural gas and/or other fossil
fuels products shall set near-termand long-term scope 3 targets
that are at a minimum consistent
with the level of decarbonization
required to keep global
temperature increase to 1.5°C,
irrespective of the share of theseemissions compared to the total
scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions of
the company.
Reporting•

C25 — Frequency: The company
shall publicly report its companywide GHG emissions inventory
and progress against publishedtargets on an annual basis.

•

The target shall be disclosed in
the CDP corporate
questionnaire.

Advantages of obtaining target leadership points through the SBTi route
Organizations are very strongly encouraged to have their targets officially validated by the Science
Based targets initiative to obtain their target Leadership points. Science-based targets are alignedwith climate science and backed by four well-known NGOs: CDP, World Resources Institute (WRI),World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). In addition,
the SBTi communications team ensures that the organization gets the recognition it deserves fordemonstrating proactive planning and leadership.
Sectors that are currently unable to be officially approved by the SBTi
The Science Based Targets initiative cannot officially approve targets submitted by organizations incertain sectors in which further methodological development is required to validate the level ofambition of a target against a 1.5°C decarbonization trajectory. These sectors have significant Scope
3 emissions; however, there is currently no sector-specific guidance for these emissions. This
includes oil & gas organizations (with exploration/production activities), in addition to organizations
who derive more than 50% of their revenue from activities in their value chain related to fossil fuels(involved in sale or distribution).
Organizations in these sectors are welcome to commit to setting a target and align their Scope 1 and2 targets with SBT methods until guidance is available. Organizations in these sectors are also
encouraged to refer to the SBTi sector webpages to learn about ongoing sectoral development workand to contact the initiative to learn about opportunities to engage in these methodology development
efforts.
In terms of CDP scoring, note that these (and all) organizations may still earn Disclosure,
Awareness, Management and Leadership points via the CDP route (see section 3.1, 3.2 and3.3 of this Technical Note).

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3.2 Net-zero science-based targets
Net-zero science-based targets will be scored in question 7.54.3 for 1) Disclosure and Awarenesslevel points 2) Management points and 3) Leadership points. All organizations, regardless of sector,
are eligible to earn full points in each level of scoring.
Disclosure level points

Disclosure level is scored proportionally per completed cell.

3.2.2 Awareness level points
To meet all of the awareness level criteria information around the scope and greenhouse gasses
emissions covered by the target must be disclosed. The intention must also be to neutralize any
residual emissions with permanent carbon removals as the end of the target year must at be. The
target should also be organization-wise in coverage and aim to be achieved before 01/06/2051.
Management level points
Full Awareness points need to have been awarded to be eligible for points at management level.
Additionally, the net-zero target needs to be linked to an absolute or intensity target that hasreceived full management and leadership points in question 7.53.1 or 7.53.2.
Leadership level points
To be eligible for full Leadership points, full Management points must have been awarded. Then 1
point will be awarded for any of the following selections:- 'Yes, and this target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative'- 'Yes we consider this a science-based target, and we have committed to seek validation ofthis target by the Science Based Targets initiative in the next 2 years'- ‘Yes, we consider this a science-based target, and the target is currently being reviewed by
the Science Based Targets initiative'
Additional information on scoring criteria can be found in question 7.54.3 in the CDP 2024
Corporate Scoring Methodology

3.3 SBT portfolio targets
SBT portfolio targets will be scored in question 7.53.4. This question is for Financial services
organizations only and is scored for 1) Disclosure level points 2) Awareness level points 3)
Management level points and 4) Leadership level points.
Disclosure level points
Disclosure level points are awarded per completed cell in proportion to the number of rows
disclosed. With a maximum of 13 points available.
3.3.2 Awareness level points
To be eligible for Awareness level points at least 10 Disclosure points must have been awarded
and the year target was met is not before the base year of the target. A point will be awarded if oneof the following options are selected:- 'Yes, and this target has been approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative'- 'Yes, we consider this a science-based target, and we have committed to seek validation ofthis target by the Science-based target initiative in the next two years'

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-'Yes, we consider this a science-based target, and the target is currently being reviewed by
the Science-based target initiative'- 'No, but we are reporting another target that is science-based'- 'No, but we anticipate setting one in the next 2 years'
The additional criteria needed to obtain full points can be found in the CDP 2024 Corporate
Scoring Methodology.
Management level points
For further details on eligibility and scoring criteria please refer to question 7.53.4 in the CDP 2024
Corporate Scoring Methodology.
Leadership level points
To be eligible for leadership level points full management points must be awarded and for eachactivity provided in question 1.10 a corresponding row is completed in 7.53.4. A point will beawarded for the target if the target ambition is 1.5oC aligned.

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3 Answers to frequently asked questions
Where can I find additional resources related to the SBTi, setting science-based targets and
GHG accounting?
Please refer to the most up to date resources available from the Science Based Targets Initiative.
Key relevant resources are:••••

The step by step process for setting a target
SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard
Financial Sector Science-Based Targets GuidanceSpecific sector resources

Where can I find resources related to science-based targets scoring in CDP’s 2024
Corporate Questionnaire?
See questions 7.53.1, 7.53.2, 7.54.3 in the resources below:
CDP’s corporate questionnaire and reporting guidance
CDP’s Corporate scoring methodology
Why is CDP using information outside of the questionnaire (i.e., taking into consideration
organizations that have passed the SBTi target validation) for scoring?
CDP considers the Science Based Targets initiative as the authority on setting and assessing targets
in line with climate science. Scoring of CDP’s corporate questionnaire will account for organizations
who have had targets approved by the initiative before the CDP scoring deadline. Targets that havenot been validated by the SBTi will still be evaluated via the CDP scoring route and can still qualify
for target Leadership points (see CDP’s corporate scoring methodology for more details).
Why do the criteria to earn Leadership points through the SBTi and the CDP route differ?
CDP aims to minimize the reporting burden on organizations, in part by reducing changes to thequestionnaire from year to year. At the same time, CDP must collect enough information to assess
the appropriateness of thousands of organizations targets. The questions in the CDP corporate
questionnaire balance the dynamics of these two contrasting principles. As a result, CDP is unable
to collect the type and amount of information necessary to determine if a target is science-based.
This reflects a difference in the applications of best practices rather than the principles behind thebest practices themselves.
Why don’t intensity targets qualify for CDP leadership through the information provided in
the CDP corporate questionnaire?
Intensity targets approved by the SBTi will be eligible for Leadership points (see CDP’s corporate
scoring methodology for more details). Due to the complexities of assessing the ambition andappropriateness of intensity targets, intensity targets which have not been validated by the SBTi will
not be eligible for CDP Leadership points.
Are Scope 3 targets assessed for Leadership points via the CDP route?
Yes, please refer to the CDP 2024 corporate scoring methodology for 7.53.1 and 7.53.2 for moredetails.
I am an organization with significant revenue from fossil fuel activities. Can my targets bevalidated as science-based? Am I eligible for Leadership points in the targets section of
CDP’s corporate questionnaire?
There are currently no sector-specific approved pathways to determine if the Scope 3 targets ofthese sectors are science based. Oil & gas organizations with exploration and production activities
cannot be officially approved by the SBTi (please see the SBTi fossil fuel policy). In 7.53.1/7.53.2,
they should select the most appropriate ‘No…” option in the “Is this a science-based target?” column.

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Organizations in these sectors and all other sectors can still qualify for Leadership points via the
CDP route by having science-based Scope 1 and 2 targets (see section 3.1 of this technical note).
Are targets that qualify for leadership through the CDP corporate questionnaire but haven’t
passed the SBTi official validation considered science-based targets?
CDP only considers organizations whose targets have been formally assessed through the SBTi
official target validation as science-based.
Are combined scopes acceptable to obtain leadership points? For example, a combined
Scope target where there is a 30% absolute emissions reduction applied to Scopes 1+2
combined from 2010 to 2030, the 30% reduction can come from Scope 1 and/or 2 and there
is no individual target for each scope.
Combined Scope target (e.g., Scopes 1 + 2, Scopes 1, 2, + 3) are acceptable for both routes. For
the CDP questionnaire route, the 4.2%, 2.1% or 1.23% absolute linear reduction must apply to each
Scope if the targets communicate the Scopes separately. For combined targets, the 4.2%, 2.1% or
1.23% absolute linear reduction applies to both Scopes combined.
Why does the CDP route ambition criterion require at least a 4.2% absolute emissions linear
reduction to achieve full Leadership points?
The CDP route at Leadership requires a linear absolute emissions reduction of 4.2% to align with
SBTi guidelines on ‘1.5ᵒC’ alignment. There are partial points available for a 2.1% reduction and1.23% reduction in line with a ‘Well below 2ᵒC’ and ‘2ᵒC’ alignments respectively.

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4 Appendix
Linear vs. Compounded Reductions
100

Linear Reduction

100
80

Emissions (%)

Emissions (%)

80
60
40

60
40
20

20
0
2010

Compounded Reduction

2020

2030

2040

2050

0
2010

2020

2030

2040

2050

Years

Years

The SBTi assumes a linear emission reduction trajectory from the base to the target year whenassessing organizations against Absolute Contraction Approach. The methods employed todetermine the minimum ambition thresholds are detailed in the SBTi’s Foundations of Science-based
Target Setting. In order to determine a science-based reduction rate, a scenario envelope isconstructed and the full range of slopes for a representative target-setting timespan, specified as
2020-2035, is considered valid. The minimum annual linear reduction rates aligned with 1.5˚C is
4.2%.
When the SBTi uses the Absolute Contraction Approach to assess the target’s level of ambition, it
is sufficient if:
𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 % 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛≥ 4.2%(𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 − 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟)
Note that the SBTi has specific requirements for certain sectors in terms of ambition. More detailed
information can be found in the sector-specific guidance on the SBTi website.

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