SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0

A plain-language walk through the whole standard — what it requires, what changed, and where carbon credits, removals and durability actually land.

Primary-source digest · Prepared by Wovoka · Published 11 June 2026 · Effective 1 February 2027

Verified mitigation: conservative, ex-post quantification; additionality; reversal-risk safeguards (monitor, address, compensate); independent accredited assurance; permanent retirement at claim.

The post-2035 mandate — flagged "illustrative" C45

From 2035, Category A companies must support eligible removals (avoidance excluded) covering 1% → 100% of ongoing Scope 1–3 by their net-zero year C45.1. Section 6.5 explicitly calls this requirement illustrative — it "sets the intention" and "will be reviewed in the next major revision (Version 3)" before it takes effect. Treat the percentages as direction, not locked rules.

Durability is gas-matching, not a quota C45.4 C46.2

A "phased-in durability" ramp: long-lived removals ≥10% of the covered emissions attributable to long-lived GHGs in 2035, rising linearly to 100% by net-zero C45.4. At net-zero C46.2, residual long-lived GHGs (fossil CO₂, N₂O) must be neutralised with long-lived removals; only the short-lived-GHG residuals (e.g. methane) stay flexible. Scope 1 is direct; Scope 3 can be shared with written agreements; Article 6 host-country authorization is reported C46.6.

The door SBTi left open C45.4 fn.75

The standard commits to a Call for Evidence on whether shorter-lived (nature) removals can deliver climate-equivalent permanence and neutralise long-lived GHGs "through contractual, financial, or stewardship mechanisms." So the role of high-integrity, well-buffered nature past 2035 is genuinely still being designed.

What it means for nature-based removals

Right side of the line. ARR is a removal; the 2035 mandate is removals-only. Avoidance (REDD+, cookstoves) is out of the mandate — it stays eligible only in the voluntary OER program.
Timing is the opportunity. Mandatory removal demand ramps from 2035; a forest financed today matures into exactly that window.
But position honestly. The durable-share bar rises every year, and at net-zero fossil-CO₂ residuals need durable removals. Sell ARR as near-term removal supply + OER contribution, not as a permanent fix for someone's fossil emissions.
Ex-post, financed forward. Only realised, verified tonnes are claimable C26.2d; forwards/offtakes are the way to fund the 10–20-year lead time.
Integrity is the moat. The C42 bar (additionality, do-no-harm/FPIC, reversal management, independent verification) rewards exactly the high-integrity, community-first model.
Adjacent channel. "Insetting" via activity pools — landscape/agricultural interventions within a supply shed C21.2 C25 — is a separate, target-eligible route worth a dedicated look.

The dates that matter

11 Jun 2026 — V2.0 published (final).
1 Feb 2027 — V2.0 effective; validation portal opens Q1 2027; public OER declaration at every validation.
End-2027 — Version 1 closes for new target setting.
2028 — Next-cycle (2030–2035) target setting under V2.0 begins.
2035 — Removals become mandatory for Category A (≥10% durable share) — subject to V3 review.
≤ 2050 — Net-zero year: 100% coverage; all residuals neutralised, durability-matched.

Provenance

What this is: A digest of a single primary document, prepared by Wovoka Advisory from the text of the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 (105pp, published 11 June 2026), read in full. It is a plain-language summary of what the standard says, not an interpretation of what it will mean for any particular company.
Read, not reported: Every requirement described here was taken from the standard itself rather than from secondary commentary. Criteria tags (C26.2d, C42, C45.4 and so on) are the standard's own clause numbers, so any statement in this digest can be checked against the source in one step.
Where the standard is provisional: The post-2035 removals regime is labelled “illustrative” by Section 6.5 and is committed to review in Version 3; footnote 75 commits SBTi to a Call for Evidence on whether shorter-lived removals can neutralise long-lived GHGs through contractual, financial or stewardship mechanisms. Both are flagged in the text above rather than reported as settled rules.
Dates: Published 11 June 2026; effective 1 February 2027; validation portal opens Q1 2027; Version 1 closes to new target setting at end-2027. Those are the standard's own dates, not projections.
Excluded, and why: Market pricing, analyst commentary and credit-price forecasts are not part of this standard and are not in this digest. No credit volume, tonnage, price or issuance figure for any project appears here. Nothing in this digest is legal or investment advice, and it is not an offer or solicitation of any kind; for a binding determination, read the source.
Source: SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 (PDF). Digest current as at 29 September 2026.

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