SBTi training · the SBTi Academy
SBTi training: the Academy and SBTi certification
SBTi training is the SBTi Academy, the SBTi’s own online platform: a free onboarding hub, priced practitioner modules, and a $1,500 certification for individuals.
Science Based Targets initiative training certifies people, not companies, and a certified expert cannot validate targets.
The Academy
SBTi training: the Academy’s three hubs
| Hub | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Onboarding | An introduction to science-based targets | Free |
| Practitioner | Modules such as applying the GHG Protocol, corporate near-term targets and net-zero targets | Some free; for example $65, $85 and $50, or a $200 bundle |
| Certified Experts Hub | An assessment-based certification for practitioners | $1,500; $1,900 with office hours |
New modules keep arriving: four finance modules on 8 October 2026, and buildings modules for in-house teams and consultants.
Certification
Science Based Targets initiative training: the certification
- 1
GHG inventory creation
Building the inventory a target rests on.
- 2
Selecting the correct guidance
Route, sector and version.
- 3
Identifying target types
Near-term, long-term, net-zero and their scopes.
- 4
Modelling targets
Methods and minimum ambition.
- 5
Completing submission questions
The Validation Portal form.
- 6
Answering validation questions
The reviewer’s queries.
- 7
Post-validation requirements
Publication, reporting and review.
Source: SBTi Academy, Certified Experts Hub. SBTi Services says the assessment takes about 9.5 hours plus preparation, with two attempts.
Limits
What SBTi training does not do
The register is explicit: inclusion “does not imply endorsement, partnership, or an employment relationship with the SBTi, nor allow the individual to offer any validation services.”
Certificates are tied to a standard version and expire: register entries certified against Near-Term Criteria 5.3 and Net-Zero Standard 1.3 run two years, so they predate V2.0, which opens for validation in February 2027.
Validation stays with SBTi Services, which itself “does not offer consultation services”; the process is on the SBTi validation page.
UK SRS is an independent reference: it holds no SBTi certification, has no SBTi partnership, and ranks no trainers or consultants.
If you are hiring
Using SBTi training when you hire an adviser
A certification is a useful question to ask a consultant, provided you check the named person on the register and the version they were certified against.
The buying questions are on the SBTi consultancy guide; doing it in-house starts with the SBTi target setting guide, and the SBTi hub links every guide.
Frequently asked
Science Based Targets initiative training, answered
What SBTi training is there?
The SBTi Academy, the SBTi’s own online platform, with three hubs: Onboarding (free), Practitioner (some modules free, some paid) and the Certified Experts Hub, an assessment-based certification.
How much does SBTi certification cost?
SBTi Services lists SBTi Certification at $1,500, with two assessment attempts; the Academy price list shows a $1,900 premium tier with office hours, plus VAT for UK customers.
Does SBTi certification let someone validate targets?
No. The register says inclusion does not imply endorsement, partnership or employment by the SBTi, “nor allow the individual to offer any validation services”.
Only SBTi Services validates targets.
How long does SBTi certification last?
Up to two years.
Entries on the register are certified against a named version, for example Near-Term Criteria 5.3 and Net-Zero Standard 1.3, with issue and expiry dates two years apart.
Is SBTi training free?
The Onboarding hub is free.
Practitioner modules are priced individually, for example $85 for applying corporate near-term targets, and certification costs $1,500.
Does SBTi certify companies?
No. SBTi Services validates a company’s targets; SBTi Certification is a credential for individual practitioners.
Sources
Primary sources
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
- Science Based Targets initiativeSBTi Academy
Three hubs; the seven assessment sections.
- Science Based Targets initiativeSBTi Academy prices
Module, certification and discount prices.
- SBTi ServicesSBTi Certification and the register
$1,500; two attempts; the register disclaimer.
- Science Based Targets initiativeFinancial Institutions Near-Term Criteria to continue without end date
Four finance modules added on 8 October 2026.
- Science Based Targets initiativeBuildings sector page
Buildings modules for in-house staff and consultants.
- SBTi ServicesSOP for the Validation of SBTi Targets V1.2
Only SBTi Services validates targets.
- Science Based Targets initiativeHow to set science-based targets
SBTi Services offers no consultation.
- Science Based Targets initiativeCorporate Near-Term Criteria V5.3.1
The criteria the courses teach.
- Science Based Targets initiativeCorporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0
The standard a 2025 certificate does not cover.
- SBTi ServicesReadiness Assessment Service
A paid pre-submission review, not training.