AFi welcomes new guidance for science based climate targets related to land use

The Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) welcomes the release of new Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) draft guidance for setting Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) targets, now open for public consultation until 25 February 2022. This new guidance will enable companies to set targets to address emissions from land use in line with a 1.5-degree future.

For many companies with agricultural and forestry supply chains, deforestation and ecosystem conversion make up a major component of their total greenhouse gas emissions. Ensuring that FLAG targets and mitigation pathways effectively account for these emissions will be crucial for companies to align with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement.

The AFi strongly supports the requirement in the new guidance (Section 3.2) for companies to have no-deforestation commitments that cover both their own operations and their supply chains, using a 2020 deforestation cut-off date. This will help to ensure that companies’ ongoing efforts to reduce deforestation and ecosystem conversion can be appropriately prioritized and integrated into the emissions target-setting process.

We also welcome the recommendation that companies align with the Accountability Framework, both in setting ambitious no-deforestation target dates and including broader no-ecosystem conversion commitments. This will support and encourage companies to follow best practice across all ecosystems and sourcing areas.

The AFi encourages consultation respondents to provide comments in support of these Accountability Framework-aligned commitments and targets.

The SBTi-FLAG guidance and tools provide an essential resource for companies with a land footprint and will be crucial for companies that produce or source forest-risk commodities to set and achieve emissions targets.

The draft guidance and consultation form can be found here.