SBTi for manufacturers: targets that win specs

SBTi in plain English

Science Based Targets tie a company’s emissions cuts to climate science. Near term targets drive absolute reductions this decade. Net‑zero targets lock in the long arc. For manufacturers, success shows up in lower Scope 1 and 2 energy and real dents in Scope 3 materials and logistics.

SBTi gives the rules and a validation check. It does not run your reductions. Product EPDs and plant projects do that work.

The market has moved

More than 9,700 companies have validated science based targets as of early January 2026, with over 12,000 either validated or committed (SBTi Target Dashboard, 2026) (SBTi Target Dashboard, 2026). That scale means buyers now expect to see credible targets and progress data in supplier packs.

LEED v5 was ratified in March 2025 and signals tougher expectations on operational and embodied carbon for projects going forward (USGBC, 2025) (USGBC, 2025). Specs increasingly reward transparent product data with third‑party verification.

Why targets need EPDs

Corporate inventories live at 30,000 feet. EPDs land the plane. They translate factory inputs and supplier choices into product‑level results that designers and contractors actually compare. Without EPDs, procurement teams often apply conservative default factors that make products look heavier than they are.

SBTi asks for reductions across scopes. EPDs show where the mass sits in A1 to A3 and whether changes moved the needle.

The business case in one chart you can sketch

CDP estimates up to 165 billion dollars in financial upside from tackling supply chain climate risks, with 43 million tonnes of emissions already avoided through buyer‑supplier work in 2023 (CDP, 2024) (CDP, 2024). That is not theory. It is lower energy, better yields, and smarter transport that also reads well in bids.

If the number is missing for your product, your competitor’s EPD becomes the default yardstick. That is rarely favorable.

A practical playbook to align SBTs and EPDs

1. Pick a reference year and freeze the numbers for energy, materials, transport, and waste by site. Map them to product families and the right PCRs.
2. Identify big levers by module. Electricity source and yield losses dominate many A1 to A3 footprints. Prioritize with a simple MAC curve.
3. Define near term targets that add up to the corporate SBT. Tie each lever to a named project, capex, and expected kg CO2e cut per SKU.
4. Collect supplier data where it matters most. Focus on top materials and plants first. CDP notes about 45,000 suppliers were asked to disclose in 2025, so your asks will not surprise them (CDP, 2025).
5. Publish product‑specific EPDs, then refresh on your renewal cycle. Flag improvements in the declaration text and in submittal notes.

Where reductions usually hide in factories

Energy. Switch to lower carbon electricity and fix compressed air and heat losses. Material yield. Reduce scrap, regrind smartly, and tighten tolerances. Mix design. Substitute high‑impact inputs where performance allows. Logistics. Fill trucks fully and pick cleaner modes when lead time permits.

Small wins compound. Missed ones compound too.

What buyers will ask in 2026

Coverage rate. Which share of revenue has current, product‑specific EPDs. Average and range of GWP per key SKU. Year over year change since last issue. Verification scope and program operator. Expiry dates and the next planned update. Keep answers short, sourced, and ready in the submittal.

Guardrails on claims and credits

Reductions come first. Credits can close small gaps but should not mask rising emissions. Governance is under a brighter light, so document methods, version your factors, and keep an audit trail. If data is thin, say so plainly and set a plan. Over‑promising hurts fast.

Resourcing without slowing operations

Most of the work sits in data collection across plants and suppliers, then steady project management. Choose a partner who removes that load from R&D, product, and the floor, and who can publish with the operator your team prefers. Speed, completeness, and clean documentation beat a bargain that leaves homework on your desk. It’s definately worth it.

Put SBTi to work for specs

Treat the corporate target as your north star and EPDs as the map. Publish what you have, upgrade where the kilograms are, and show progress in each renewal. That rhythm turns climate goals into credible procurement wins and keeps the next bid from slipping to a competitor with better paperwork.