Version summarized: 4 | Original document published: March 2026 | Article updated: 14 October 2026
Version notice
This page summarizes the supplied V4 Chinese draft as an application-preparation aid. It is not an official SBTi translation. The official download link now points to V4.1 (July 2026), which updates the absolute-reduction method and recommendation for a 2030 target year. Use the currently effective criteria, platform options and documents for an actual application; do not apply the historical V4 reduction rates below as current calculations.
Download the current official checklist (currently V4.1, English PDF)
Source: SBTi Services official checklist.
About SBTi Services
SBTi Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Science Based Targets initiative and a separate legal entity. It reviews and validates climate targets for companies, financial institutions and SMEs. Standard setting and target validation have distinct organizational roles. Applicants prepare a greenhouse-gas inventory, develop targets using the applicable method and submit them to the validation service.
Validation of a target does not mean the emissions reductions have already been achieved. Organizations must implement action, track progress and disclose information.
How to use this summary
- Use this page to organize application information; it does not replace professional interpretation, current criteria or validation.
- Intellectual property and service terms for the official document remain with its publisher. This page provides a summary and links to the original source.
- Applications go through the SBTi Services validation platform. Sending this summary by email is not a substitute for platform submission.
- “NT C” identifies near-term criteria and “NZ C” identifies net-zero criteria in the supplied checklist. Confirm mandatory fields and current identifiers in the platform and the SME Criteria Assessment Indicators.
1. Four application-information sections
| Section | Check before submission |
|---|---|
| Registration | Legal name, organization type, contact and current SME-pathway eligibility; do not rely only on historical employee thresholds. |
| Service selection | New or updated near-term target, net-zero target, combined option or maintenance target; confirm prerequisites for each. |
| Emissions profile | Organizational boundary, gases, emissions, activities, factors, exclusion percentages and reduction measures. |
| Contract and payment | Invoice details, address, paying entity, purchase order, fee waiver and service terms. |
An SME may choose the general company validation route instead; use the requirements for that route.
2. Four V4 target options
| Option | V4 preparation summary | Key checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Set or update a near-term target | Absolute Scope 1 and 2 reductions, with a commitment to measure and reduce Scope 3. | V4 target period: 5–10 years from submission; base year no earlier than 2015; use the same base year for Scopes 1 and 2. |
| 2. Net-zero target only | For an SME with an applicable approved near-term target, or one able to reach net zero within 5–10 years. | V4 ambition: 90%–100% reductions; long-term target no later than 2050; check base-year consistency and neutralization of residual emissions. |
| 3. Combined near-term and net-zero targets | Prepare information for both options 1 and the long-term net-zero target. | V4 lists net-zero base years from 2015–2025; near- and long-term targets for the same scope share a base year; long-term target by 2050. |
| 4. Near-term maintenance target | Select the applicable category according to whether Scopes 1 and 2 have emissions. | Explain zero emissions and the maintenance plan where relevant; use applicable target wording and do not assume an exemption. |
The target year may use a calendar or fiscal year. For a fiscal year, record the full start and end dates. V4.1 adds a recommendation for a 2030 target year and related period exceptions; recheck eligible years against the current version.
3. Historical V4 minimum Scope 1 and 2 reduction rates
The table preserves the supplied V4 figures for historical reference. V4.1 changed values for base years from 2021 onward, so this is not a current submission calculator.
| Base year / target year | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 | 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 63.0% | 67.2% | 71.4% | 75.6% | 79.8% | 84.0% |
| 2016 | 58.8% | 63.0% | 67.2% | 71.4% | 75.6% | 79.8% |
| 2017 | 54.6% | 58.8% | 63.0% | 67.2% | 71.4% | 75.6% |
| 2018 | 50.4% | 54.6% | 58.8% | 63.0% | 67.2% | 71.4% |
| 2019 | 46.2% | 50.4% | 54.6% | 58.8% | 63.0% | 67.2% |
| 2020–2025 (V4) | 42.0% | 46.2% | 50.4% | 54.6% | 58.8% | 63.0% |
Target wording should specify the base year, target year, scopes and reduction percentage; confirm the formal English commitment template in the platform. A near-term target also includes a commitment to measure and reduce Scope 3. The fact that the near-term route may not require a complete Scope 3 inventory submission does not mean Scope 3 can be ignored.
4. General inventory and commitment checks
- Follow the GHG Protocol and cover the seven required gases: CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆ and NF₃. Explain any excluded gases and why.
- Scope 1 and 2 exclusions together must not exceed 5%; quantify and disclose excluded emissions and target coverage.
- Select one organizational boundary approach—operational control, financial control or equity share—and use it consistently for inventory and targets.
- Assess inventory and target recalculation after significant changes. Review targets at least every five years and confirm whether revalidation is required.
- Publish validated targets as required. V4 listed a six-month publication commitment and annual disclosure of emissions and progress.
- Carbon credits and avoided emissions do not count as actual near- or long-term reductions. For net zero, separately confirm the required permanent removals for residual emissions.
- Describe business activities, products, services, disclosure platform and reduction measures.
5. Scope-specific data preparation
| Scope | Quantities and sources | Management and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | Base-year total and stationary combustion, mobile combustion, fugitive and process emissions; emission-factor sources. | Main activities, exclusions and target coverage; if zero, explain why and how zero emissions will be maintained. |
| Scope 2 | Location-based emissions, purchased electricity, heat and cooling; also provide market-based emissions if that method is used for tracking. | Consistent method selection, quality of renewable-energy instruments, future procurement and reduction actions. |
| Scope 3 (net-zero route) | Selected-year total, categories, activities and exclusions; V4 capped exclusions at 10%. | Reduction measures; separately disclose progress, neutralization of residual emissions and beyond-value-chain action. |
Provide inventory reports, consultant reports and renewable-energy certificates if requested by the platform. Instrument use must meet market-based quality rules; it cannot reduce location-based or other-scope emissions.
6. Contract and payment checks
| Item | Prepare |
|---|---|
| Invoice name | Legal entity name; explain the relationship if the paying entity differs from the applicant. |
| Tax and address | Tax or business number, if available, and contract/invoice address. |
| Procurement details | Purchase-order number, invoice notes and extra requirements, if any. |
| Fee waiver | Confirm eligibility and apply during registration; do not assume a later application will be accepted. |
| Terms | Confirm the paying entity and accept the current service terms. Applicants requesting fee relief also complete the relevant information. |
7. Version history and final pre-submission review
| Version | Publication timing in the supplied record | Main changes |
|---|---|---|
| V1 | April 2023 | Initial checklist, with the then-current independence and employee-threshold criteria. |
| V2 | 14 December 2023 | SME eligibility questions, fees and fee-waiver thresholds. |
| V3 | October 2024 | Format, Scope 1 and 2 questions, and target options. |
| V4 | March 2026 | Eligibility and net-zero references, base/target-year options, and contract/payment section. |
| V4.1 (current official link) | July 2026 | Updates to the absolute-reduction method and recommendation for a 2030 target year. |
Before submission, confirm: pathway eligibility → current document version → base and target years → ambition calculation → inventory completeness → contract and payment → platform submission.