Leading companies advance science-based action for nature as new report highlights business value
15/09/2026
Today, 14 new companies are publicly disclosed new progress through the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN), independently validated through the Accountability Accelerator — including the first science-based targets for seafood, new land targets and first validated disclosures from companies in Japan and the U.S.
Waitrose, the UK supermarket chain owned by the John Lewis Partnership, Danish aquaculture company Musholm and Rederiet Isafold A/S, a member company of the Danish Pelagic Producers Organisation (DPPO) have adopted the first science-based targets for food. Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has also adopted science-based targets for land.
Marija Rompani, Director of Ethics & Sustainability, John Lewis Partnership, said:
“Having our targets validated by SBTN gives us greater confidence that we are focusing our efforts where they can have the greatest impact. From suspending mackerel sourcing to help protect stocks, to investing in habitat restoration in the places we source our prawns, these targets help us translate science into practical action that supports healthier marine ecosystems and more resilient supply chains.”
A further group of companies — including the first companies in Japan, Kirin Holdings and Daiwa House Industry Co., and the first U.S.-based company, Seatopia — has publicly disclosed validated progress through SBTN’s foundational steps. Find all the latest validated progress on the SBTN Target Tracker, and learn more about select companies’ target-setting journey in six new case studies.
New report shows the business value behind corporate progress
Alongside this new corporate progress, a new report today publishes fresh insight into the business value companies are seeing from science-based targets for nature.
Step Up for Nature: The Business Case for Science-Based Targets, published by SBTN, the Accountability Accelerator and consultancy EBP draws on in-depth interviews with 14 companies across Europe, Asia and North America, including Waitrose and Kirin Holdings, both announcing progress today, alongside previous target-setters GSK, H&M Group and Kering.
A central finding: companies see science-based targets for nature as a practical business management tool. Across the interviews, they pointed to the value of using science to understand where nature-related impacts and dependencies matter most to the business and what level of response is needed — helping them identify where to act and what to prioritize.
Hiroaki Takaoka, Senior Executive Officer of Corporate Strategy & CSV at Kirin Holdings told the report authors:
“SBTN helps us speed up decision-making and discussion. Instead of discussing whether or not we should care about nature, the discussion now moves on to which regions, which parts of the supply chain, and which sites are most important for our business.”
Companies also pointed to stronger business resilience, greater credibility and preparedness for emerging risks and expectations. Asked how she framed H&M Group’s engagement with science-based targets for nature internally, H&M Group Chief Sustainability Officer Leyla Ertur told the report’s authors:
“The key frame we used was treating nature as a business issue — not as a CSR add-on. It creates business resilience. It is directly linked to our sourcing strategy. When I say resilience, I concretely mean our ability to continue operating and making our products.”
Momentum toward Science-Based Targets for Nature 2.0
This growing corporate momentum also sets the stage for the October 13 launch of Science-Based Targets for Nature 2.0, alongside content launches from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Nature Positive Initiative (NPI). Together, the aligned updates will help companies connect nature-related assessment, target-setting, action, measurement and disclosure with greater consistency and confidence.
Drawing on several years of scientific development and early corporate application, Science-Based Targets for Nature 2.0 marks the next major phase in SBTN’s approach for corporate action on nature. The release makes the target-setting journey more practical while maintaining the scientific rigor and place-based approach that underpin credible nature action. It gives companies more ways to begin and progress, strengthens and broadens target coverage across freshwater and land, and provides new resources to support implementation.
SBTN will preview the upcoming release at its New York Climate Week event, Step Up for Nature: From Corporate Ambition to Science-Based Action, on September 23, 2026, a side event to the UN Global Compact Leadership Summit and run in collaboration with the Accountability Accelerator.
Explore further:
Latest corporate progress:
- Find validated corporate progress on the SBTN Target Tracker
- See which companies are signaling their ambition to step up for nature
Business value of science-based targets for nature
- Read Step Up for Nature: The Business Case for Science-Based Targets
- Explore new company case studies
Science-Based Targets for Nature 2.0
Upcoming events:
- Join the Step Up for Nature report webinar on October 1 (9:00 am ET). Hear directly from companies featured in the new executive report about why they are setting science-based targets for nature, what they are learning through the process, and where they are seeing value. Learn more and register here.
- Join SBTN at Climate Week NYC. Register interest in attending Step Up for Nature: From Corporate Ambition to Science-Based Action event, hosted in collaboration with Accountability Accelerator – a side event to the UNGC Leaders Summit on September 23, 2026. Learn more about other events we’ll be participating and speaking in throughout the week here.
- Join SBTN, TNFD, and NPI on October 13: Hear from all three initiatives in the webinar Embedding nature into corporate action: New aligned guidance published. Two webinar times are available:
- Time slot 1 (9am BST)
- Time slot 2 (4pm BST)
