# How long is a near-term target under SBTi's Net-Zero Standard V2?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/sbti-v2-near-term-five-year-cycle

Five years. Under SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0, C9.2, a near-term target covers the five years starting at the beginning of your most recent reporting period when you submit. A first V2.0 target may be shorter to fit your cycle; later ones cover the next five years after the previous target year.

## The V2.0 rule

- Five-year period, starting at the start of the most recent reporting period at submission.
- First target under V2.0: may be shorter than five years to line up with your business or reporting cycle.
- Every later target: the next five years, starting the year after the previous target year.
- Long-term targets: 2050 at the latest.

## How it differs from version 1

- Version 1 (Near-Term Criteria V5.3.1, C13): 5 to 10 years from submission, base year 2015 or later.
- Version 1 recommends a 2030 target year (R7) to line up with V2.0's transition.
- V2.0 applies from 1 February 2027; version 1 applies until 31 January 2027.

## What it means in practice

Targets become rolling five-year blocks, assessed at the end of each cycle. Your inventory needs to be ready every five years, with the base year close to the start of each block, not a year chosen a decade back.

## Example: an April to March company submitting in September 2027

- Most recent reporting period: FY 2026-27, which began 1 April 2026
- Five-year target period: April 2026 to March 2031
- Next cycle: April 2031 to March 2036
- Or a shorter first target, ending with FY 2029-30, to line up with the business plan

Example company. This reads "most recent reporting period" as the latest complete year you report; confirm with SBTi Services.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible keeps each financial year's emissions from your bills and invoices as its own record, so a new five-year block can start from a complete recent year. It does not set, validate or assure SBTi targets.

- [SBTi near-term target years and base year](https://senseible.earth/answers/sbti-near-term-target-years-base-year-rule)
- [SBTi Net-Zero Standard V2: supplier impact](https://senseible.earth/answers/sbti-net-zero-standard-v2-suppliers)
- [SBTi and the Indian April to March year](https://senseible.earth/answers/sbti-indian-financial-year-which-calendar-year)
- [Scope 3 supplier evidence](https://senseible.earth/scope-3-supplier-evidence)

Sources: [SBTi, Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0, Criteria (final, released June 2026, effective 1 February 2027): version history, C9.2, C9.3](https://files.sciencebasedtargets.org/production/files/Corporate-Net-Zero-Standard-V2-Criteria.pdf), [SBTi, Corporate Near-Term Criteria V5.3.1 (final, April 2026, in effect from 14 April 2026): C13, R7](https://files.sciencebasedtargets.org/production/files/SBTi-criteria.pdf)

Last reviewed 2026-11-01.