We are an SME with almost no scope 1 or 2 emissions. Can we still get an SBTi target?

Yes. SBTi's FAQ says the SME route offers a near-term maintenance target for companies reporting zero or nearly zero Scope 1 and/or Scope 2. You document the zero, explain how you reached it and how you will keep it, and report the emissions if they come back.

What you must show

1. Documents that confirm zero, or nearly zero, Scope 1 and/or 2.
2. How you got there: a green tariff, open access, rooftop solar, an electric fleet.
3. How you will keep it there through the target period.
4. Annual progress reports, following GHG Protocol standards.
5. If emissions start again, report them in your progress reporting.

Where "zero" usually breaks

• A diesel generator for power cuts.
• LPG in the canteen or for a small furnace.
• Refrigerant topped up in ACs and chillers.
• Grid units at night when the rooftop solar stops.

How near is nearly zero

The FAQ does not set a number. Quantify every source, however small, and let SBTi Services judge. You still commit to measure and reduce Scope 3 on the SME route, and you must meet the SME eligibility test first.

Example: an export design studio

• Grid units: all bought under a discom green tariff, with the renewable units on each bill
• Backup generator: 300 L of diesel a year x 2.645 kg CO2 per L = 793.5 kg, about 0.8 t
• Result: Scope 2 zero on a market basis, Scope 1 nearly zero. Report the 0.8 t, do not round it away

Example company.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads electricity bills and fuel slips, so a stray diesel or LPG bill shows up as a Scope 1 line instead of being missed when you claim zero. It does not set, submit or validate SBTi targets; SBTi Services validates them.

• Get your carbon number
• Who qualifies for the SBTi SME route?
• Diesel generator: Scope 1 or 2?
• Green tariff and zero Scope 2

Sources: SBTi, Frequently asked questions: SME validation route and maintenance targets, IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2, Energy (diesel default)

Last reviewed 2026-11-01. SBTi revises SME route options; re-check the FAQ and the SME Criteria Assessment Indicators before applying.