Ørsted was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

True if SBTi records or credible reports show that Ørsted's net-zero target was validated under the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard and that no energy company had a net-zero target validated by SBTi before it. Mostly true if Ørsted was among the first group validated at the same time, with no energy company validated strictly earlier. Mostly false if Ørsted's net-zero target was validated but at least one other energy company had a net-zero target validated earlier. Also mostly false if Ørsted was first only for a near-term target rather than a net-zero target. False if Ørsted's net-zero target had not been validated by SBTi as of 2023-06-07.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 SBTi launches world-first net-zero corporate standard - Science Based Targets Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) · 28 October 2021

   “Seven companies, including AstraZeneca, CVS Health and Ørsted, are the first worldwide to have science-based net-zero targets verified by the SBTi.”

2. E2 Net-Zero Case Study - Ørsted - Science Based Targets Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

   “Ørsted is the first energy company to receive a validated net-zero target aligned with climate science using the Net-Zero Standard.”

3. E3 Enel leads the way in the fight against global warming by committing a drastic reduction in its emissions EuropaWire (Enel press release) · 30 October 2020

   “By this act, the energy company becomes the first major, global, integrated utility to set an emission reduction target consistent with the United Nations pledges to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).”

SBTi's October 2021 launch release for its Net-Zero Standard names Ørsted among the first seven companies worldwide to have science-based net-zero targets verified (E1). A separate SBTi case study describes Ørsted as the first energy company to receive a validated net-zero target under the Net-Zero Standard (E2). Enel's 2020 SBTi validation (E3) was for a 2030 emission reduction target, which the release itself frames as a reduction target rather than a net-zero target, so it does not show an earlier validated net-zero target by an energy company.