Announcing new technical director ahead of first release of science-based targets for nature
I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Varsha Vijay as the new Technical Director for the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN). Varsha is a quantitative conservation scientist with a PhD in environmental science and expertise across biodiversity, land use, data/modelling, monitoring and corporate supply chains. In addition to technical expertise, she has direct experience working on justice and equity in conservation to develop solutions with a diverse group of collaborators and stakeholders, including communities, NGOs, companies, and government stakeholders.
With the collaborative efforts of our Network partners and Network hub team, Varsha will lead the technical direction for the first release of science-based targets for nature in early 2023 to help companies begin to take integrated action across climate and nature.
This represents a culmination of over three years of extensive technical development and collaboration with the Network partners as well as feedback from over 140 companies, consultancies and industry coalitions who are road-testing the guidance, methods and tools to ensure feasibility and usability.
With the latest science reinforcing the urgency for action, this first release from SBTN for companies will include initial target-setting resources on freshwater and land to complement those on climate from the Science Based Targets initiative.
It will also mark a meaningful half-way point in SBTN’s roadmap from laying the foundation for companies in 2020 with our initial guidance to providing companies with comprehensive science-based targets for nature by 2025.
As we progress towards 2025, subsequent releases will increase the scope of issues that SBTN is able to cover with its methods, in line with the latest science and the completion of SBTN’s freshwater, land, biodiversity and ocean hubs technical development, corporate pilots and consultations.
Over the next few months, Varsha & I will provide further details on the first release of science-based targets for nature. More to come!
