What annual reduction rate does SBTi require?

For near-term 1.5°C-aligned targets, SBTi's absolute contraction approach requires a minimum linear reduction of about 4.2% of base-year emissions every year. Well-below-2°C alignment requires at least 2.5% per year. This tool applies those fixed rates.

What is a carbon budget in this context?

It is the total emissions released along the whole pathway — the sum of each year's emissions from base year to target year. A steeper early reduction shrinks the budget, which matters because cumulative emissions, not the end-point, drive warming.

Why is the reduction linear rather than percentage-of-previous-year?

SBTi's absolute contraction method reduces emissions by a fixed share of the base year each year, producing a straight line. That is more ambitious than a compounding percentage of the shrinking prior-year figure, which would taper off too slowly.

Does hitting the target year mean net zero?

Not by itself. The pathway gets gross emissions down to the target level, but true net zero also requires permanently neutralising any residual emissions with high-quality removals. Use the linear mode's residual field to model that remainder.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Every calculation runs in your browser with JavaScript. None of the figures you enter are uploaded, stored, or shared.

Net Zero Target Pathway Calculator

A credible net zero plan is a year-by-year trajectory, not a single distant promise. This calculator turns a base-year footprint and a target year into a concrete reduction pathway with annual milestones, the required pace, and the cumulative carbon budget you are committing to.

How it works

The tool builds the pathway from a constant absolute reduction each year:

SBTi 1.5°C:  annual reduction = base emissions × 4.2%
SBTi 2°C:    annual reduction = base emissions × 2.5%
linear:      annual reduction = (base − residual) / (target year − base year)

emissions(year) = base − annual reduction × (year − base year)
carbon budget   = sum of emissions across every year on the path

The SBTi modes apply a fixed share of the base year every year — the absolute contraction approach — so the line is straight and the pace never slackens. The linear mode lets you aim at a custom residual you plan to neutralise.

Example and notes

A company at 50,000 tCO2e in 2025 on the SBTi 1.5°C path must cut 2,100 tCO2e every year (4.2% of base year). Over 15 years to 2040 that removes 63% of emissions, leaving roughly 18,500 tCO2e still to be eliminated or neutralised for genuine net zero. Note that the cumulative budget — the area under the line — is what physically drives warming, so front-loading reductions beats a path that delays the steep cuts. Always re-check the live SBTi sectoral criteria, as required rates and methods are periodically tightened.