Business Leadership on Science-Based Targets: Climate Week NYC Event Highlights

02/10/2025

On September 24, 2025, the Science Based Targets Network gathered leading corporate sustainability voices to discuss why investing in nature is essential for long-term business resilience.

During our session, Stepping Up for Nature: Business Leadership on Science-Based Targets, we heard:

Reflections on SBTN’s journey so far, from the perspective of UNGC, a founding partner
The latest announcements about corporate progress, technical updates, and SBTN’s ambitious path forward
Insights from a Corporate Action Panel about why and how working on science-based targets for nature has helped shape business strategy and unlock transformative action. Find bios for each speaker here.

Watch the recording and find additional highlights below from Climate Week NYC.

Panel highlights: Corporate perspectives on nature action

Stepping up for nature is stepping up for business

Corporate panelists agreed that the business case for nature is clearer than ever.

Sigrid Buehrle, SVP of Sustainability and ESG at Adidas, shared that action on nature is a strategic business decision for Adidas. “We are fully aware that climate and nature both have critical impacts on our business. We are depending on them and we do impact them” she said, noting that the textile and sporting goods sectors are heavily dependent on water. “We need to better understand the risks so that we can mitigate, and adapt and as well – so we can make our company more resilient in the future. SBTN helps us to really go through that journey in a science-based way”

“Stepping up for nature is, I would say, stepping up for business, and stepping up for our future as well.”
~ Sigrid Buehrle, SVP, Sustainability and ESG, Adidas

Antonio Carrillo, Vice President of Sustainability at Holcim further emphasized this point, saying that for Holcim, “finding the business case for nature was pretty simple.”

Water plays such a critical role in Holcim’s operations that from a supply engagement, risk, reputation, and long term value creation perspective, understanding and acting on Holcim’s water impacts and dependencies was “a no-brainer.”

The reputational driver for nature action was also relevant for aquaculture company Musholm A/S. Teis Volstrup, Head of Public Affairs & Communication, shared that in their experience, “if you’re a food producer out in nature, you will have to be able to stand up for why you’re doing this and how you’re doing it and find a way to give transparency.”

Science-based action strengthens stakeholder engagement

Once the business case for nature was established as a given, panelists explored why science-based action adds critical business value. One theme that emerged was how the credibility of science-based action can help companies engage meaningfully with stakeholders – from investors and customers to the supply chain and regulators.

Hanne Soendergaard, Executive Vice President of Agriculture, Sustainability and Communications, explained that for Arla, as a farmer cooperative, the value of a science-based foundation is “a lot about trust. It’s about trust from our farmers that we know what we’re doing – it’s science-based, it’s data-based, it’s long-term, and they can lean into it.”

Carrillo described how target-setting has supported Holcim’s local supply chain engagement in Mexico: “I think the target eventually brings also to that particular community a feeling of proudness of those companies operating.”

Musholm’s science-based analysis revealed that existing regulation was not fit for purpose from a nature perspective – and showed a way forward that could both better protect nature and unlock business opportunity.

Volstrup explained that, without having done the SBTN analysis, “we would have dismissed the idea, and that would have been a shame for our business plan; and it would have been a shame for nature.” Musholm is now engaging with Danish regulators to push for stronger nature positive rules.

A call-to-action for companies: now’s the time to step up:

First mover companies have paved the way, and with SBTN’s new accelerated pathways, getting started on science-based targets has never been easier.

Panelists shared their advice and calls to action for the other companies in the room to start their SBTN journey:

Don’t wait until you have all the data.
Buehrle encouraged other companies not to be afraid to get started, sharing that Adidas made progress on Steps 1 and 2 despite data gaps. “Data are key, but the good thing about the SBTN process is it actually guides you. It takes you on a journey. So my recommendation is don’t wait too long. When you start those journeys, you might not have all of the solutions, but the process will guide you.”
Build on the analysis and action you already have.
“It’s not an additional layer of complexity,” Buehrle continued. “It complements the actions that you already have in your business.”

Soendergaard explained how SBTN aligns with CSRD for European companies like Arla which have to report on that anyway: “What SBTN helps with is to operationalize and actually think about ‘what’s the strategy and action you want to take?’ so that it doesn’t become just a compliance game. But they connect completely.”
Companies are stronger together.
As Soendergaard put it, “the faster we can get companies across the value chains on board here, that’s where the value will come because that helps us to collaborate.”

That’s what SBTN’s upcoming Step Up for Nature campaign is all about – companies coming together to make credible progress on nature, one step at a time.

By the time of the 2026 Global Biodiversity Stocktake, SBTN aims to demonstrate the scale of corporate ambition and progress – showing how the private sector can lead the way in delivering measurable nature positive outcomes through science-based action. See the campaign preview here – companies can register interest in participating now.