SBTi-approved climate targets jump 61%, driven by healthcare sector and Asian firms

The number of companies to get their net-zero pledges approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) rose by 61% last year.

By the end of 2025, there were 2,325 companies with validated decarbonisation targets for 2050, according to figures published on Thursday.  

The biggest surge was in the healthcare sector, which hit 460 companies – up 76% on 2024 – although it still represents just 5% of the total. 

“Industrials, which covers manufacturers and distributors of capital goods, stood out as the sector with the highest number of companies with validated targets,” noted SBTi in its update. 

“This is followed by Materials, encompassing companies engaged in the discovery, development, and processing of raw materials, and then Consumer Discretionary, encompassing automobiles and autoparts manufacturers, as well as household durable goods, leisure products, textiles and apparel producers.”

Regionally, Asia continues to be a key driver of the growth, with a 92% increase in Chinese firms getting validated between 2024 and 2025, bringing the figure to nearly 600.

Taiwan, Japan and India also saw continued growth, while momentum built in nascent markets like Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. 

Japanese companies now account for more than a fifth of total SBTi targets, making it the most represented nation on the list.

“Rapid growth in this region signals that corporate climate ambition is expanding beyond Europe, with the frontier of climate action increasingly shifting towards Asia and emerging markets.”

There was lower growth among companies getting their near-term targets validated, with a 40% uptick in 2025 – bringing the total number to 9,764.