Amazon, Kohl among SBTi commitment cuts

Clothing suppliers and retailers are among those delayed by science goal reporting deadlines .

The Science Based Targets initiative is a public reporting initiative to help companies set targets reduction of emissions based on science in line with the Paris Agreement. The organization was created in 2015 by the CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund.

SBTi recently publicly flagged 100 organizations - including Amazon and Kohl's - for failing to set their goals for broadcasts in a timely manner. Companies can be searched through SBTi's database with a red font that reads "Commitment Removed". More than 5,000 companies from all sectors use the platform.

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The organization enacted a new “commitment compliance policy” in January so that it is visible to stakeholders when companies fail to comply or refuse to report, rather than simply removing them from the website without a trace. SBTi gave companies an extension until July 31 when the policy was announced in January.

As of August 9, 120 companies had commitments removed. Data is updated every Thursday. There are seven apparel players whose commitments have been removed, including Alkaram Towel Industries Ltd., Nahar Industrial Enterprises Ltd., Sapphire Finishing Mills Ltd., Sapphire Textile Mills Ltd., SCM Garments PVT Ltd., Taiga Apparel Ltd. and The Schneider Group. (Alkaram Towel Industries supplies Walmart while SCM Garments supplies Hanesbrands and Jockey. Sapphire Finishing Mills customers include Red Wing Shoes, according to shipment data from ImportYeti). Two retailers, Amazon and Kohl's, have had their commitments removed.

In 2020, Amazon committed to setting voluntary science-based goals with SBTi. “We have continued to work with SBTi throughout this period to determine appropriate submission guidelines and methodologies for complex businesses like Amazon, but it remains challenging for us to submit meaningfully and accurately,” staff wrote. from Amazon in a recent blog post. “We will continue to work with SBTi to establish a path forward for submission, and we believe there is a role for organizations like theirs to play. Nor are we backing down or slowing down – alongside this ongoing work with SBTi, we will also seek to set scientific goals with other organizations and credible third-party validators. »

Kohl's joined SBTi in July 2021. In March 2022, at Kohl's Investor Meeting, the company has taken a step further by committing to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It is unclear whether Kohl's Inc. will continue to work with SBTi to refine its reporting. The company could not be reached at the time of publication for comment on the removal of its pledge.

Along with the addition of the new compliance policy, SBTi is continually evolving its reporting criteria.

"The new policy makes it clear where companies have committed to setting goals but then don't failed to comply," SBTi said in a press release. "Not only does this increase transparency and accountability around commitments and eventual validation, but it acts as a major deterrent for companies to make commitments without taking action."

SBTI's statement emphasized that regardless of engagement status, a goal can always be submitted and approved. "This is by no means the end of the story for a business."