The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)—the leading standards-setting body for corporate climate targets—will let companies remain compliant even if they miss their carbon targets, as long as they’ve made their “best efforts” to meet them. The change is a recognition “that companies do not control everything,” the group said, “and that pretending otherwise does not serve anyone.” (The Logic)

Talking point: The SBTi writes the rulebook that many large companies use to set emissions-reduction targets. The changes come as many firms fall behind on their climate commitments, with just 16 per cent of the world’s largest firms on track to hit net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a 2025 report from Accenture. The updated rules also let companies count some carbon-removal credits, such as through direct air capture, toward their net-zero goals—something previously restricted—as the group acknowledges that some emissions remain difficult or impossible to eliminate. 

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