The Science Based Targets initiative has published an updated draft of its Power Sector Net-Zero Standard, opening a second round of public consultation to gather input from businesses and industry stakeholders. The revised framework incorporates feedback from the initial consultation phase, recent scientific research, and insights from the organization’s Expert Working Group. Once finalised, the standard will provide power companies with a clear, scientifically rigorous pathway to establish net-zero targets aligned with global 2050 climate goals.
As the largest contributor to global energy-related carbon emissions, the power sector is considered vital to broader economic decarbonisation and the transition to low-emission electricity grids. The newly revised draft aims to make target setting more practical and actionable for utility companies by reflecting real-world operational structures without diminishing scientific ambition.
The latest version introduces several significant updates, including:
- Framework Realignment: Closer integration with the Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 to provide a clearer structure on how the two standards operate concurrently.
- Refined Emissions Boundaries: Greater clarity on covered activities, including the distinct treatment of electricity transmission and distribution, explicit rules for heat and power generation emissions, and the complete exclusion of electricity trading activities.
- Updated Metrics and Pathways: A revised definition of low-carbon power generation based on emissions intensity, separate classifications for technical and non-technical transmission losses, and updated regional decarbonisation pathways based on the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2024 Net Zero Emissions Scenario.
- Target Modifications: Refined options for Scope 1 near-term targets in power generation and Scope 3 targets for electricity retailers, alongside the removal of biomass sustainability requirements, which are now managed directly under the core Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0.
The second public consultation period will run from 15 July until 31 August 2026. The organization is actively seeking feedback on the general applicability of the framework, the proposed base-year performance metrics, asset decarbonisation plans for near-term targets, and alignment targets designed for electricity retailers to increase their share of low-carbon power procurement.
Concurrently with the public feedback window, the organization will run a pilot scheme with selected companies to test the draft standard against real-world operational data. The combined insights from the consultation and the pilot will be used to refine the document before it is submitted for final approval to the Technical Council and the Board of Trustees. While the formal standard undergoes finalisation, businesses are advised to continue utilising the existing Quick Start Guide for Electric Utilities to develop their science-based targets.
