Beyond Science-Based Targets

The report introduces a four-step blueprint for corporate climate action: accounting and disclosing emissions, reducing value chain emissions via science-based targets, quantifying a financial commitment by pricing remaining emissions, and investing that commitment into further reductions, climate innovation, and high-quality carbon credits. It argues that current 'footprint-based' approaches are insufficient and advocates for a forward-looking model that integrates nature-based solutions and policy advocacy to achieve a net-zero global economy.

• The authors argue that existing 'footprint-based' approaches to corporate climate action are too narrow because they are 'attributional' and 'backward-looking', focusing on past responsibility rather than long-term transitions to net-zero businesses.
• The Corporate Climate Mitigation Blueprint consists of four hierarchical steps: (1) account and disclose emissions across the value chain; (2) reduce value chain emissions following a science-based target pathway; (3) quantify a financial commitment by pricing remaining emissions; and (4) invest that commitment in high-impact climate and nature actions.
• To determine the size of their financial commitment for remaining emissions, companies can use various benchmarks, including national trading schemes at $20 per ton of CO2e, internal company prices between $30 and $100 per ton, or Paris Agreement-compatible modeled prices between $100 and $400 per ton by 2030.
• Financial commitments should be allocated across three mechanisms: further emissions reductions (e.g., renewable power), unlocking climate solutions (such as landscape finance and R&D for carbon capture), and purchasing high-quality carbon credits or mitigation outcomes.
• The report warns that low-quality carbon credits may overstate their impact; for example, research indicates that CO2 emission reductions from voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon have likely been overstated.
• A holistic corporate strategy must include three additional elements beyond the blueprint: influencing government policy to close the emissions gap, collaborating with peers and suppliers for industry-wide decarbonization, and building social-ecological resilience.

APA

Schallert, B., Stevenson, M., Weber, C., Farsan, A., Nielsen, J., de León, P. P., & Collins, N. (2020). Beyond Science-Based Targets. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/428/5o6hsatbpy_beyond_science_based_targets___a_blueprint_for_corporate_action_on__qWN4nJg.pdf

Chicago

Schallert, Brad, Martha Stevenson, Chris Weber, Alex Farsan, Jesper Nielsen, Paulina Ponce de León, and Nicholas Collins. Beyond Science-Based Targets. WWF International, 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/428/5o6hsatbpy_beyond_science_based_targets___a_blueprint_for_corporate_action_on__qWN4nJg.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{schallert2020beyond, author = {Schallert, Brad and Stevenson, Martha and Weber, Chris and Farsan, Alex and Nielsen, Jesper and de León, Paulina Ponce and Collins, Nicholas}, title = {{Beyond Science-Based Targets}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/428/5o6hsatbpy_beyond_science_based_targets___a_blueprint_for_corporate_action_on__qWN4nJg.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }