The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) has unveiled its first validated science-based targets (SBTs) for nature, with global corporations GSK, Kering, and Holcim pioneering efforts to tackle freshwater and land sustainability. This milestone follows a year-long pilot by SBTN, aimed at equipping companies with actionable frameworks to address environmental impacts across ecosystems.

Founded in 2019, SBTN was established by leading organizations such as the CDP, World Resources Institute, WWF, UN Global Compact, and Conservation International. The initiative builds on the emissions-focused Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) by enabling businesses to expand their environmental goals beyond climate. The pilot launched in 2023 with 17 companies, allowing GSK, Kering, and Holcim to emerge as the first with validated targets for land and freshwater.

Sixty percent of companies in the pilot program successfully validated part or all of their targets. GSK, Kering, and Holcim became the first to disclose their achievements, with other companies expected to follow by January 2025.

Kering, a global luxury group, introduced a freshwater conservation plan focused on the Arno basin in Tuscany, home to its tanneries. 

GSK, the biopharma giant, set a target to reduce freshwater use at its Nashik site in India’s Upper Godavari basin. Meanwhile, building materials company Holcim committed to a 39% reduction in freshwater withdrawals in Mexico’s Moctezuma basin by 2030.

According to SBTN, these validated nature targets demonstrate a clear and credible path for businesses to take ambitious action. SBTN’s plan is set to expand, eventually including broader conservation efforts for biodiversity and oceans.