SBTi FLAG 101: Learn the Basics
Learn the basics about setting forest, land and agriculture targets.
Jump to a section
What Is FLAG All About?
The forest, land and agriculture sector represents nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - the largest emitting sector after energy.
While thousands of companies report their GHG emissions to investors and stakeholders, few account for the emissions from deforestation and land use change, or include them in reduction targets. A key barrier for many companies has been the lack of available guidance and methods - until the SBTi developed its FLAG Guidance. The guidance enables companies to reduce the 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use.
To help you gain clarity and understand your next steps for setting FLAG targets, we've created an education series of articles and an on-demand masterclass.
[fs-toc-h2] Tracing the Roots: A Brief Historical Overview
In September 2022, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) unveiled the Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Science Based Target Setting Guidance. This directive was tailored specifically for sectors heavily vested in the land, such as food, agriculture, and forestry, to chart out science-backed targets encompassing land-induced emissions and their removal. Fast forward to June 2023 when SBTi announced new implementation timelines for FLAG target setting and recalculation to align with the publication of the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance.
[fs-toc-h2] The SBTi FLAG Guidance: A Path to Achieving the Paris Agreement (1.5°C)
At its core, the SBTi FLAG Guidance offers companies a common, consistent and rigorous scientific framework. This guides enterprises on the magnitude and pace of trimming down land-associated emissions in sync with the Paris Agreement. Armed with the FLAG tool and guidance, companies can strategically align their FLAG-centric emissions to a trajectory compatible with a 1.5°C world. The SBTi FLAG Guidance Document (and science-based targets for FLAG) apply specifically to the land-related emissions and removals (that qualify under the GHG Protocol accounting guidance) in a company’s direct emissions and supply chain.
[fs-toc-h2] Unpacking SBTi FLAG Requirements
- Set near-term FLAG targets: 5-10 year emission reduction targets in line with limiting warming to 1.5°C.
- Account for removals in near-term FLAG targets: GHG removals include things like improving forest management practices, and enhancing soil carbon sequestration on working lands. Read more on how the FLAG pathways address carbon removals here.
- Set long-term FLAG targets: Companies in the forest, land and agriculture sectors will reduce at least 72% of emissions by no later than 2050. They should use the SBTi Net-Zero Standard to set long-term FLAG targets.
- Zero deforestation targets must be set for no later than 2025: In line with the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi). Read more on how this guidance accounts for land-use change emissions here.
- Set targets for fossil emissions: Businesses with land-based emissions are required to set FLAG targets AND Energy/Industry targets, since all companies produce fossil emissions.
While the land sector has been historically difficult to evaluate with GHG accounting and target-setting approaches, FLAG nonetheless represents about 22% of net anthropogenic GHG emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (~13 GtCO2e per year). About half of those emissions come from agriculture and half from land use, land-use change and forestry. In terms of mitigation, the land sector could contribute up to 37% of the emissions reductions and removals needed through 2030, and 20% through 2050
[fs-toc-h2] The SBTi FLAG Guidance: A Path to Achieving the Paris Agreement (1.5°C)
Although GHG emissions from the FLAG sector need to be significantly reduced by 2050, agricultural production is expected to increase by about 50% by then to meet increased food demand
Click here for part 2 of our FLAG series.
Head of marketing
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Consectetur, adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut lab. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
This is an example blog post style
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Sed vulputate odio ut enim. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui. Lorem dolor sed viverra ipsum. Luctus accumsan tortor posuere ac ut consequat semper. Viverra justo nec ultrices dui sapien eget mi proin. Mollis nunc sed id semper risus in hendrerit gravida rutrum. Lacinia quis vel eros donec. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam. Ac orci phasellus egestas tellus rutrum tellus pellentesque eu tincidunt. Morbi quis commodo odio aenean sed adipiscing diam. Urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum. Tortor vitae purus faucibus ornare suspendisse sed. Vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus vitae congue. Enim sed faucibus turpis in. Orci eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit.
Nunc id cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi in. A erat nam at lectus urna duis convallis convallis. Tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac. Id interdum velit laoreet id donec. Egestas dui id ornare arcu odio. Gravida rutrum quisque non tellus orci ac auctor. Malesuada fames ac turpis egestas maecenas pharetra convallis. Ut diam quam nulla porttitor. Eget nunc lobortis mattis aliquam faucibus purus. Aenean sed adipiscing diam donec adipiscing tristique risus nec. Nisi est sit amet facilisis magna etiam tempor orci eu. Tortor posuere ac ut consequat.
“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit”
<span class="blockquote-wrap">
<strong>Naomi</strong>
Head of marketing
</span>
This is an example blog post style
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Sed vulputate odio ut enim. Volutpat sed cras ornare arcu dui. Lorem dolor sed viverra ipsum. Luctus accumsan tortor posuere ac ut consequat semper. Viverra justo nec ultrices dui sapien eget mi proin. Mollis nunc sed id semper risus in hendrerit gravida rutrum. Lacinia quis vel eros donec. Nisi vitae suscipit tellus mauris a diam. Ac orci phasellus egestas tellus rutrum tellus pellentesque eu tincidunt. Morbi quis commodo odio aenean sed adipiscing diam. Urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum. Tortor vitae purus faucibus ornare suspendisse sed. Vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus vitae congue. Enim sed faucibus turpis in. Orci eu lobortis elementum nibh tellus molestie nunc non blandit.
<span class="rtb-protip">
<span class="rtb-protip-title"></span>
<span class="rtb-protip-body">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim.</span></span>
How to customize formatting for each rich text
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sed do eiusmod
- For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing.
- Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing
How to customize formatting for each heading
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
