SBTi Trend Tracker 2025
In January 2026, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) surpassed 10,000 companies with validated science-based targets. Drawing on our latest annual dataset (January 2025 to December 2025), the SBTi Trend Tracker 2025 summarizes the adoption of science-based targets and commitments across regions and sectors —offering insights into how businesses worldwide are aligning with climate science and accelerating the net-zero transition.
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Target-setting critical mass: global growth of companies with validated targets and active commitments
By the end of 2025, 12,353 companies had validated science-based targets or had committed to set them, with close to 10,000 (9,764) of these having validated targets. Year on year, there was a 40% growth in the cumulative number of validated companies. The cumulative number of companies with both near-term and net-zero targets increased by 61% during the same period. The number of companies with only commitments to set targets—which for this period was not a compulsory step within the target-setting process—remained stable.
Note: Percentages indicate the share of the cumulative total in each year.
Source: SBTi (data correct as of December 31, 2025)
Bolder ambition: net-zero targets are increasingly the choice for corporates
In 2025, the total number of corporates with validated targets grew by 46% (from 2,936 to 4,299), while those with net-zero targets grew by 76% (from 980 to 1,729). Across 2024, 33% of corporates with validated targets had net-zero targets; by the end of 2025 this had risen to 40%.
Note: Data excludes SMEs and Financial Institutions. Percentages indicate the share of the cumulative total in each year.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Emerging market corporate target-setting rises: Asia, Africa, and LATAM lead in growth
Overall, Europe (4,769) led as the region with the highest number of companies with validated targets, followed by Asia (3,513) and North America (1,076).
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Asia saw the highest proportional growth in companies setting sciencebased targets - up 53% (from 2,297 to 3,513). Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean followed, increasing their totals by 48% (from 46 to 62) and 42% respectively (from 122 to 173).
Note: Absolute change in companies with targets is shown in brackets.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Asian territories’ target-setting cements: high penetration markets continue to dominate, lower penetration companies become more prominent
Japan continued to lead in the total number of companies with validated targets, with 2,091 at the end of 2025, followed by the United Kingdom (1,363) and the United States of America (943, hereafter referred to as the United States).
Among territories with high penetration, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, recorded the highest levels of growth. Among territories with low penetration, Indonesia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Mexico all achieved significant growth.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Among territories with high penetration, China, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, recorded the highest levels of growth. Among territories with low penetration, Indonesia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Mexico all achieved significant growth.
Note: ‘Territories with high penetration’ corresponds to territories with at least 100 companies with targets at the end of 2024. ‘Territories with low penetration’ corresponds to territories with between 10 and 99 companies with targets at the end of 2024. For each category, the global growth rate is shown for context. Absolute change in companies with targets shown in brackets.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Sector ambition leaders: Industrials, Consumer Goods, and Materials
Industrials, which covers manufacturers and distributors of capital goods, stood out as the sector with the highest number of companies with validated targets. This is followed by Materials, encompassing companies engaged in the discovery, development, and processing of raw materials, and then Consumer Discretionary, encompassing automobiles and autoparts manufacturers, as well as household durable goods, leisure products, textiles and apparel producers.
The Health Care, Information Technology and Materials sectors led in proportional growth of companies setting science-based targets in 2025.
The highest market index penetration by the SBTi was in the CAC 40, the DAX 40, and the FTSE 100—reflecting the prominence of the SBTi system in the European financial markets. The Nikkei 225 and S&P 500 followed, while the Forbes Global 2000 provides a global benchmark of adoption among the world’s largest companies.
Note: Sectors based on the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS), which includes Professional Services under Industrials. Absolute change in companies with targets shown in brackets.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Market penetration maintains spread: companies with targets hold notable presence in key indices
The highest market index penetration by the SBTi was in the CAC 40, the DAX 40, and the FTSE 100—reflecting the prominence of the SBTi system in the European financial markets. The Nikkei 225 and S&P 500 followed, while the Forbes Global 2000 provides a global benchmark of adoption among the world’s largest companies.
Source: SBTi and publicly available index/list constituents data (data correct up to end of 2025)
Asia in focus
Overall Japan (at 2,091) led in the region with the highest number of companies with validated targets followed by China (at 598) and India (at 286).
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
Among high penetration territories in Asia, the most significant growth markets for science-based target-setting were China, Taiwan, Japan and India. Among territories with low penetration, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Thailand all performed well. These dynamics show how larger economies and emitters in the region were early adopters and now climate ambition is spreading across the region.
Note: ‘Territories with high penetration’ corresponds to those territories with between 10 and 99 companies with targets at the end of 2024. Within Asia, four territories meet this criteria. ‘Territories with low penetration’ are those territories with between 10 and 99 companies with targets at the end of 2024; within Asia, nine territories meet this criteria. Territories in the Middle East are excluded from this analysis. For each category, the Asian regional growth rate is additionally shown for context. Absolute growth in companies with targets is shown in brackets.
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
The sectors which exhibited the largest proportional growth between 2024 and 2025 varied across the highest emitting territories in the region: China, Japan and India. Information Technology saw 145% growth in China, 37% in India, and did not feature in Japan’s top three. Conversely, in Japan, Materials saw the largest proportional growth (68%), but did not feature in either of the other two territories’ top three. Health Care was the fastest growing sector in India, with 108% growth, while in Japan it grew by 62% between 2024 and 2025.
Note: Data is shown for the three territories with the largest annual emissions in Asia. For each territory, the three sectors with the highest growth in the number of companies are shown. Any sectors with fewer than 10 companies with targets at the end of 2024 are excluded from this analysis. Sector definitions are based on Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS).
Source: SBTi (data correct up to end of 2025)
