My Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) target was modelled on an older tool and SBTi has just updated it. How long do I have to submit?

Under C7, a target modelled on an earlier version of an SBTi method or tool can be submitted for validation only within 6 months of publication of the revised method. C24 gives the same 6 months to meet new sector-specific guidance. Count from the publication date.

What the two criteria say

• C7: targets must be modelled with the latest version of methods and tools approved by SBTi. Targets modelled on previous versions can only be submitted within 6 months of the publication of the revised method or sector-specific tools.
• C24: companies must follow target-setting requirements and minimum ambition in relevant sector guidance at the latest 6 months after the guidance is published.

What this means for your timeline

1. Find the publication date of the new tool or method, not the date you noticed it.
2. Add 6 months. That is your last day to submit a target modelled on the old version.
3. If you miss it, remodel with the new version.
4. If your sector has new guidance, follow its requirements from 6 months after publication.

Why it matters in a supplier queue

A buyer's deadline for a validated target may fall after the window closes. Keep dated copies of the tool version you used, and ask the buyer whether a submission in progress is acceptable.

Example: counting the window

• A revised tool is published on 1 March.
• Six months later is 1 September.
• A target modelled on the old tool can be submitted up to that date. After it, the new tool is needed.

Dates are an example. Use the publication date SBTi gives.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads fuel invoices and electricity bills into monthly records, so the litres, kilowatt hours and months are in one place to copy from. It does not track SBTi tool versions or submit targets for you.

• SBTi: five-year target review deadline
• SBTi: publish a target within 6 months
• SBTi target recalculation triggers
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) carbon number

Sources: SBTi Corporate Near-Term Criteria, Version 5.3.1, April 2026

Last reviewed 2026-11-05. SBTi updates its criteria from time to time. Check the version your target will be assessed under before you rely on this answer.