Technical governance

The SBTi’s technical governance is central to our work and aims to support the development of impactful and effective standards, methods and guidance.

The SBTi has developed a technical governance model to enhance the effectiveness, rigor, and credibility of our standards, methods and guidance and to support the wide range of stakeholders they impact. We have put in place transparent governance mechanisms to support independent and objective technical decision-making.

Read the Standard Operating Procedure for Development of SBTi Standards

Technical Council

The SBTi Technical Council is an independent deliberation and technical decision-making body initially convened in 2023. The Council has delegated authority from the SBTi Board of Trustees to review and approve SBTi Standards and other normative documentation. The Technical Council members sit for renewable three-year terms, including a Chair who acts as liaison between the Council and the Board. This group operates exclusively in the public interest. See the Terms of Reference for more information.

Scope and role

The scope of the Technical Council covers all normative documentation, including SBTi principles, standards, mitigation pathways and methods that inform emission and non-emission benchmarks used across SBTi Standards, and other normative documents that supplement SBTi Standards (which can include annexes, guidelines, position papers, technical policies, etc.). The Technical Council reviews and approves, and recommends that the Board adopts normative elements of the SBTi framework.

Term length and renewal model

From July 2026, the Technical Council will move to a staggered renewal model, with five new members appointed each year, supporting continuity while ensuring diversity of expertise, skills, regions, and stakeholder perspectives. To operationalize this model, five members from the current cohort will be renewed for a 12-month period, five members will be renewed for a 24-month period, and five new members will be appointed for a 36-month period.

Call for applications

The SBTi has opened applications for the appointment of five new Technical Council members for a three-year term (July 2026–June 2029). We encourage applications from qualified experts with extensive climate mitigation and sustainability expertise, representing diverse geographies, sectors and perspectives.

Applications must be submitted before February 26, 2026, and include a completed application form, CV, statement of interest, and a declaration of any affiliations or potential conflicts of interest. You can review the full application form before submitting your responses by downloading the list of questions.

Applicants should demonstrate:

Strong technical and analytical expertise in climate mitigation, carbon accounting, and science-based target setting, with the ability to assess complex evidence for decision making.
Integrity, independence, and sound judgement, ensuring impartial, evidence-based and well-reasoned decisions that uphold the Technical Council’s public interest mandate and established governance requirements.
Effective communication and collaborative skills, including the ability to work constructively with diverse perspectives, communicate clearly, and prioritize the SBTi’s mission above individual interests.

Selection process

A Nomination Committee appointed by the SBTi Board of Trustees will oversee candidate screening, interviews, and recommendations for the next term. The process will follow the SBTi’s established governance policies. Further details are outlined in the Technical Council Terms of Reference, which defines the Technical Council’s role, scope, composition, appointment process and working principles.

Term start

The next Technical Council term will begin on July 1, 2026. We invite experienced, mission-driven experts to apply. This is an opportunity to contribute to the development of globally relevant climate standards that accelerate credible corporate climate action toward net-zero.