• Can I select prioritization factors other than those listed in the guidance?

  Companies must comply with the validation requirements found in the Step 2 method document. These requirements do allow for some flexibility in the choice of environmental data and metrics that can be used in the prioritization. Beyond environmental pressures and the state of nature criteria, we require companies to rank their location on at least one of the three required additional criteria: stakeholder engagement, company dependencies on nature, and other considerations such as feasibility and strategic interest.

Task 9. Prioritize within target boundaries

• What combination of locations need to be selected for freshwater and land target setting?

  The SBTN methods are not prescriptive about whether companies should set targets for freshwater and land in different places (i.e., set targets for freshwater in a US basin, vs. for land in a Brazilian landscape), or instead in the same place to maximize co-benefits.

  The determination of which locations the company sets targets on in Step 3 is dependent on that company’s material pressures. If most of the company’s pressures are concentrated in one location, which also happens to be critically stressed according to state of nature indicators, this may be the highest-priority location for multiple issues (based on Step 2b). Companies may also choose to set both types of targets in the same location if this makes the most sense from a co-benefits and/or feasibility perspective, even if the location and activity is not the highest priority for all issues.

  Note that priority basins for action may even be distinct for Freshwater Quantity vs. Freshwater Quality targets, meaning the company will need to set at least two targets to address impacts at these priority locations.