SBTi support: expert-led target setting and validation

Normative climate strategists have helped companies across sectors achieve validated SBTi targets, 100% of the time. Our structured support covers target development, submission preparation, and ongoing validation query support.

Learn moreRead the SBTi guide

Which service is right for you?

SBTi support

Normative offers two SBTi service tracks. Both are available on Essential and Premium plans.

For standard-route companies

Three areas of support:

  1. SBTi fundamentals: A comprehensive overview of SBTi requirements across all scopes and the commitment process, so your team enters the process with a clear picture of what lies ahead.
  2. Target development excellence: Collaborative workshops to develop science-based targets and align your GHG inventory with SBTi criteria, working through scope coverage, target years, and ambition levels.
  3. Validation journey support: End-to-end support through submission, documentation preparation, and reviewer queries, from the moment you submit to the day you receive approval

Available on: Essential & Premium

Which service is right for you?

SBTi SME Track

For companies on the SBTi streamlined SME route

Three areas of support:

  1. SBTi fundamentals for SMEs: A tailored overview of the SME track requirements, eligibility criteria, and what the submission process involves.
  2. Target development: Guided workshops to develop near-term targets (and optionally net-zero targets) suited to the SME submission form, and prepare a compliant submission ready for SBTi review.  
  3. Validation journey support: Ongoing support through the SBTi SME portal submission, addressing any reviewer queries or clarifications to see you through to a successful validation. 

Available on: Essential & Premium

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SBTi Support in focus

SBTi Support: what’s included

Find out what’s included within the three service pillars in more detail.

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  • SBTi fundamentals

    Your engagement begins with a structured Introduction to SBTi Workshop where we’ll take you through: target-setting requirements across scope 1, 2, and scope 3; explore the relevant target options, such as near-term, net-zero, FLAG and sector-specific; plan out your next steps with regards  to the commitment and validation process. It is designed to bring your sustainability team up to the level of detail needed to make informed decisions before target-setting begins.

  • Target development excellence

    The target development phase runs across three stages:

    Inventory alignment workshop: a detailed review of your GHG inventory against SBTi criteria, identifying any gaps or adjustments required before targets are set

    Processing of inventory updates and changes: where adjustments to the inventory are needed, your Climate Strategy Advisor supports those updates

    Targets development workshops: collaborative sessions to develop your near-term and net-zero targets across all relevant scopes, test ambition levels against SBTi pathways, and finalise the target structure before submission

    Target Submission Form Completion: your Climate Strategy Advisor completes the SBTi submission form on your behalf, documenting your GHG inventory and validating your targets against SBTi criteria ahead of formal submission

  • Validation journey support

    Once submitted, your advisor remains engaged:

    Target submission follow-up session: a structured review of the submission and what to expect during the SBTi review period

    SBTi query process support (ongoing): your advisor responds to reviewer queries, prepares supplementary documentation, and supports your organization through every clarification round until approval is confirmed

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The foundations for SBTi success

What the platform provides

The Normative platform provides the calculation and analysis layer underpinning your submission. 

The platform – included on all plans

  • Automated carbon accounting with AI-powered data matching
  • Emissions database with 349,000+ scientific emissions factors
  • Calculation methodology built by our team of Sustainability Engineers
  • Effortless data upload & automatic data QA
  • Reporting suite built for SECR, CSRD, and more
  • Dedicated support from a GHGP certified climate strategist

Expert consulting – included with your SBTi support

  • SBTi introductory presentation
  • Detailed workshops on carbon inventory alignment and target-setting 
  • A trained, GHGP-certified Normative Climate Strategist available for Q&A throughout the engagement
  • Hands-on assistance with the SBTi commitment letter, submission form and validation process

“It would have been almost impossible to achieve SBTi validation without Normative. The level of detail required is far beyond what we could have produced manually.”

Leonie-Sadler-DiscoverIE-Group
Leonie Sadler Sustainability Manager at discoverIE Group

The business case

Why do companies choose Normative for SBTi?

The combination of carbon accounting with expert support ensures our customers are fully prepared for SBTi validation.

Meet our Climate Strategy Advisors
  • 100% SBTi approval rate

    Every Normative client submission has been validated. That track record reflects both the quality of the platform data and the depth of the advisor-led preparation that precedes each submission.

  • GHG Protocol-compliant by design

    SBTi requires GHG Protocol alignment as the basis for all target-setting. The Normative platform is built to GHG Protocol standards, not adapted to them, which means the data your advisor uses to develop your targets is the same data that goes into your submission.

  • A named Climate Strategy Advisor on every account

    Your engagement is led by a named Normative Climate Strategy Advisor who works with your team directly. They know your inventory, your sector, and your timeline. Queries do not go to a generic support queue.

  • Independently verified data

    Normative carbon data is independently verified. When SBTi reviewers ask questions about your inventory, your advisor can point to verified, defensible numbers, which reduces clarification rounds and keeps the validation process moving.

Meet our Climate Strategy Advisors

FAQs

SBTi Support covers the full journey from initial education through to validated approval. It begins with a structured Introduction to SBTi Workshop covering requirements across all scopes and target types, followed by an Inventory Alignment Workshop and Targets Development Workshops where your Climate Strategy Advisor works with your team to build science-based targets that meet SBTi criteria. Your advisor then completes the SBTi submission form on your behalf, supports the formal review period, and responds to any reviewer queries until approval is confirmed. The service is underpinned by the Normative platform, including GHG Protocol-compliant carbon calculations, reduction scenario analysis, and 349,000+ emission factors.

The SME Track is designed for companies eligible for the SBTi streamlined SME route, those that meet specific size and emissions criteria. It follows the same three-pillar structure as the standard service (SBTi fundamentals, target development, and validation support), but is tailored to the SME submission process: a shorter introductory session, a guided Target Form Portal Submission session in place of the full workshop series, and a focus on near-term targets, with net-zero targets optional for SMEs. The same Normative platform capabilities and ongoing reviewer query support are included throughout.

Yes, for companies on the standard SBTi Support service. Target Submission Form Completion is included as standard: your Climate Strategy Advisor completes the form on your behalf, documents your GHG inventory, and validates your targets against SBTi criteria before formal submission. For companies on the SME Track, your advisor guides you through the SME portal submission in a dedicated session, ensuring the form is accurate and complete before it is submitted.

SBTi Support and the SBTi SME Track are available to customers on Normative’s Essential and Premium plans. If you are not yet a Normative customer, get in touch with us to discuss which plan and service is right for your organization. You can book some time with an expert here. 

Talk to a climate strategist

Ready to start your SBTi submission? Speak to a Normative Climate Strategist and map your path from commitment to approval.

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