Guide
What a credible SBTi FLAG target looks like
For food, agriculture and forestry companies, land emissions need their own target. Here's what reviewers look for.
Land-sector emissions behave differently from energy emissions: they include land-use change, and land can also remove carbon. That's why FLAG targets sit apart from energy and industry targets.
Who needs one
Companies in FLAG-designated sectors, or companies whose land-related emissions are a significant share of their total.
What reviewers look for
- Separate accounting for land-use change, land management and removals
- A no-deforestation commitment with a near-term date
- Reductions driven by sourcing and farm practice, not offsets
- Removals counted only where they're monitored and permanent enough to trust
Where the data comes from
Farm-level data is scarce. Credible programmes start with regional averages, then work with suppliers on soil, fertiliser and livestock data over time.
The practitioner reality
The target is the easy part. Building farmer programmes that actually change practice — and paying for them — is the work.