Retail organisations Adidas, John Lewis Partnership, and H&M Group are among first 24 companies to join the Science Based Targets Network’s (SBTN) new ‘Step Up for Nature’ initiative.
Unveiled last week, Step Up for Nature invites businesses to publicly declare the next milestone they intend to complete on their pathway towards validated science-based targets for nature. This includes when they expect to submit work for independent review by the Accountability Accelerator.
These commitments now sit on SBTN’s newly launched ‘Ambition Board’, giving NGOs, investors, and peers a clearer view of corporate progress and intent.
SBTN CEO Erin Billman said the first cohort shows that, despite macroeconomic uncertainty, a critical mass of businesses is preparing to operationalise the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
“Companies are seeking clarity – and acting on it,” she said.
The launch cohort spans multiple sectors and geographies, reflecting surging demand for credible, science-aligned guidance on nature. Their declared next steps range from early-stage materiality screening and value-chain impact assessments through to the development of freshwater, land and ocean targets.
SBTN noted more than 150 additional companies are already in its pipeline, building on the first movers with validated land and freshwater targets.
To accelerate uptake, SBTN has released new “accelerated pathways” that allow companies to focus on a narrower scope initially, expanding as internal capacity and data maturity grow. The next companies to join the cohort are expected to be revealed early in 2026.
Several participants, including Waitrose, Orkla Foods Sweden, and regenerative seafood brand Seatopia, are also piloting the world’s first ocean science-based targets for the seafood supply chain.
Lars Lundahl, environment & sustainable sourcing manager at Orkla Foods Sweden, commented: “We aim to strengthen our risk and opportunity assessment to support science-based action to address challenges across our seafood value chains.”
Other cohort members, such as Novo Nordisk and forest-industry giant UPM-Kymmene, are piloting Version 2 of SBTN’s land guidance.
Sakari Suuriniemi, senior manager for global forest affairs at UPM, noted: “Healthy ecosystems benefit not only us, but our customers and society.”
SBTN will release its final major update mid-2026, expanding land and freshwater coverage, updating ocean guidance and adding new materials to support implementation and measurement – completing the core toolkit companies will use to set and track science-based targets for nature.
Read more about retail and science-based environmental targets on Green Retail World
[image credit: Waitrose/John Lewis Partnership]
[Update: 08/12/25; 14:48: a previous version of this article listed ICA Gruppen as a signatory of the Step Up for Nature initiative – this is incorrect.]
