This document presents the July 2025 public comment draft of the SMARTargets Methodology. Public comments were solicited on the draft methodology and supporting materials from July 8th to September 3rd, 2025. The set of materials available to the public included the following:
Primary materials
- SMARTargets Methodology: A Methodology for Grounded and Actionable Climate Targets Aligned with Global Goals
- SMARTargets Scientific Foundations: The Science Relevant to Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target Setting Based on Science (updated July 27, 2025 to fix hyperlinks)
Supporting materials
- SMARTargets Reporting Template: For Documenting and Validating SMARTargets
- Appendix B: SMARTargets Methodology Implementation Illustrative Examples
- SMARTargets Methodology Independent Scientific Peer Review Comments and Responses
This document includes the methodology and appendices, including Appendix B. The other documents are available by request (srose@epri.com and coctaviano@epri.com). Prior to the public comment period, the methodology was subjected to a formal, independent scientific peer review. See the acknowledgments section and supporting materials for additional details on the scientific review.
The SMARTargets Methodology is a methodology for grounded, actionable climate targets and strategies aligned with science and international climate goals. The methodology helps companies contribute to the pursuit of international climate aspirations while identifying strategies that account for their actual opportunities and risks.
There is growing interest in companies setting climate targets aligned with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement. However, current methodologies are not considering issues that are essential to address for companies to identify actionable strategies and to facilitate progress towards the Paris Agreement goals. This includes considering uncertainty, differences in transition opportunities, and the multiple social priorities relevant to decisions.
This study provides a new approach that addresses these issues. The SMARTargets Methodology consists of eight standardized steps, with transparent company-specific assessment and communications of company circumstances and transition opportunities and risks a hallmark of the approach. The new methodology is grounded in assessment of the science that defines the relationship between a global climate outcome and a company. The methodology aligns targets and strategies with the Paris Agreement, conducts transition risk analysis, evaluates alternative strategies, and identifies actionable targets, enabling conditions, and contingency plans.
The SMARTargets Methodology provides significant value to companies and stakeholders. For companies, it helps them pursue ambitious and actionable targets aligned with science and international goals. It also facilitates enhanced planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement. For investors, and other stakeholders, SMARTargets not only means a company has science-based targets aligned with international goals, but the standardized process and outputs provide transparency, comparability, and credibility to the targets and strategies. Furthermore, by identifying enabling conditions, the methodology facilitates constructive dialogue and coordination for greater emissions reduction ambition and progress.
The revised methodology in response to the public comment feedback is expected to be released in 2026.