Public Consultation: Updated Guidance for Companies on Assessing and Prioritizing Nature Impacts
March 24, 2026 – The Science Based Targets Network has launched a public consultation to inform updates to its technical guidance for companies on assessing and prioritizing nature impacts.
Science-based targets for nature help companies address the environmental pressures driving biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation – risks that increasingly affect supply chains, water security, and long-term business resilience.
Within SBTN’s step-by-step rigorous framework, Step 1: Assess enables companies to evaluate their impacts on nature across their value chains. Step 2: Prioritize identifies where action and target-setting will have the greatest benefit for nature. Together, these steps help companies make informed decisions about where to act, focus resources where they matter most, and build a credible foundation for science-based targets for nature.
SBTN’s public consultation (running March 24 – April 17, 2026) focuses on the main design updates under consideration for V2 of the Step 1: Assess and Step 2: Prioritize methods, planned for release mid-2026.
The proposed updates build on real-world corporate implementation experience and also reflect input from the SBTN technical community. It aims to help companies move more efficiently from impact assessment and prioritization to target-setting and action, while maintaining the scientific integrity of the approach.
This consultation focuses on key topics that may significantly influence how the methods are applied in practice, including their rigor, feasibility, accountability, and interoperability of the methods, both across the SBTN methodology and with other sustainability frameworks.
SBTN welcomes broad and inclusive feedback. While the guidance is designed for corporate use, input from technical experts, accountability partners, community stakeholders, and other affected groups is critical to ensure the targets are both effective and locally appropriate.
Get involved:
- Explore the public consultation landing page to learn about the proposed changes, review the consultation materials, and submit your feedback through the online form.
- Join the webinar on April 7, where SBTN experts will outline the updates proposed for V2, share more information about the public consultation, and answer questions.
