Key Performance Indicators
Anchor KPIs in business outcomes. The right metrics drive competitiveness, lower cost and risk, build resilience, and unlock growth—while cutting the footprint in line with 1.5°C ambition.
Complete KPI Reference
The Exponential Framework defines 34 key performance indicators across five pillars. Each KPI is mapped to specific pillars and includes nature-positive indicators where applicable.
Exponential Framework KPIs
34 key performance indicators mapped across 5 pillars
1
Operations2
Value Chain3
Solutions4
Finance5
PolicyNature-positive indicator
| KPI Focus | As Measured By (Examples) | Sectors | Pillars |
|---|---|---|---|
Total GHG emissions | % absolute reduction in total CO₂e | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
GHG emissions intensity on organisational level | tCO₂e per US dollar revenue | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Product & service emission intensity | Kg CO₂e emissions per functional unit (eg per product or service sold) | ManufacturingRetail | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Total energy use | Annual total energy consumption | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Purchased renewable energy | % renewable of total energy | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Own renewable energy generation | % of annual energy use from own renewable generation | Heavy IndustryReal Estate | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Phase out coal in purchased energy | % electricity purchased from grids producing <5% of total electricity from coal | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Suppliers' alignment with the 1.5°C ambition | % of suppliers/emissions/spend from companies that are aligned with 1.5°C | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Suppliers' use of renewable energy | % of suppliers' energy that is renewable, or by number of suppliers; % of value chain energy from renewable electricity | ManufacturingRetail | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Impact from material extraction | GHG emissions per kilo material purchased; no. of hectares of virgin landscape converted for extraction; deforestation (hectares) per material unit | ManufacturingConstruction | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Zero deforestation in supply chain | Commodity deforestation exposure measure | Food & BeverageRetailFashion | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Sustainable forestry in supply chain | % hectares forest sustainably managed | Paper & PackagingConstruction | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Regenerative agriculture in product's supply chain | % of agricultural product tonnage produced regeneratively; % of total purchased agricultural commodity weight produced on farms implementing regenerative agriculture according to science-defined criteria | Food & BeverageFashion | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Low emission logistics | tCO₂e per ton km | LogisticsRetailManufacturing | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Products designed for circularity | % of sales revenue or weight from products that fulfil circular design principles | ManufacturingRetailFashion | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Product material use | % of circular material use (eg recycled, reused and secondary materials, and components which are recyclable) by weight/volume; weight/volume of raw material use per product | ManufacturingConstruction | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Fossil-free material use | % of product from near-zero or non-fossil-based materials by weight or volume | Heavy IndustryManufacturing | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Regeneration of materials | % of material recirculated or safely returned to nature at end of life | ManufacturingFashion | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Climate solutions transformation | % of revenue from climate solutions | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Product durability | No. of meaningful uses (eg wears/hours/years) | ManufacturingFashionElectronics | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Product energy efficiency | Avg product-lifetime kWh usage | ElectronicsAutomotiveAppliances | 1 2 3 4 5 |
End-of-life takeback | % of material/component/product that is bought back or recollected from customers/consumers | ElectronicsFashionAutomotive | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Climate solutions R&D and CAPEX | R&D spending on climate solutions as % of CAPEX | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Customers' alignment with the 1.5°C ambition | % customers by revenue that are aligned with 1.5°C | B2B ServicesProfessional Services | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Customer projects' alignment with the 1.5°C ambition | % customer projects by revenue that are aligned with 1.5°C | Professional ServicesEngineering | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Rate of marketing promoting sustainable lifestyles | % of marketing & sales budget used to support sustainable lifestyles integrating circularity | RetailConsumer Goods | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Carbon dioxide removals | % of volume of annual GHG emissions counterbalanced by removals (either within or beyond value chain) | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Funding of projects to protect and restore nature and store carbon beyond value chains | % unabated emissions matched with project funding at $100 per tCO₂e | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Purchase high quality carbon credits | % volume of purchased credits in relation to remaining annual emissions | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Emissions intensity of cash deposits | tCO₂e per US dollar | AllBanking | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Green financing | % of new financing portfolio that is green or sustainable | BankingFinance | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Organisation memberships aligned with the 1.5°C ambition | % of associations and organisations that are aligned with 1.5°C | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Policy influence (InfluenceMap) | InfluenceMap score and quartile/rank; year-on-year trend | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Industry associations alignment | % of total membership fees paid to 1.5°C-aligned associations | All | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Showing 34 of 34 KPIs
Emissions Intensity Benchmarks
Complementary metrics for comparing carbon intensity across sectors and business models. Use these benchmarks to assess decoupling progress and set science-aligned intensity targets.
Emissions Intensity Benchmarks
Compare carbon intensity across sectors and business models
Metric: Scope 1 CO₂ emissions per $1M USD revenue. Higher values indicate more carbon-intensive sectors.
| Rank | Sector | tCO₂e / $1M Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | 2,634 |
| 2 | Materials | 918 |
| 3 | Energy | 571 |
| 4 | Industrials | 194 |
| 5 | Consumer Staples | 90 |
| 6 | Consumer Discretionary | 33 |
| 7 | Real Estate | 31 |
| 8 | Information Technology | 24 |
| 9 | Financials | 19 |
| 10 | Communication Services | 9 |
| 11 | Health Care | 7 |
SBTi Intensity Reduction Requirements
Near-Term Targets:
- • Absolute: 4.2% per year (S1+S2)
- • Economic intensity: 7% year-on-year reduction per unit value added
- • Physical intensity: 7% year-on-year reduction (company-defined metric)
Long-Term (2050):
- • Absolute: 90% reduction below 2020 base year
- • Economic intensity: 97% reduction from base year
- • Physical intensity: 97% reduction from base year
KPIs by Sector
Different company types should prioritize different KPIs based on where their impact is greatest.
Heavy Industry
Dominant: P1Priority KPIs
Total GHG emissions
Product & service emission intensity
Phase out coal in purchased energy
Fossil-free material use
Professional Services
Dominant: P3Priority KPIs
Customer projects' alignment with 1.5°C
Customers' alignment with 1.5°C
Climate solutions transformation
Marketing promoting sustainable lifestyles
Banking & Finance
Dominant: P4Priority KPIs
Green financing
Emissions intensity of cash deposits
Funding projects to protect and restore nature and store carbon beyond value chain
Suppliers' alignment with 1.5°C
Retail & Consumer
Dominant: P2Priority KPIs
Suppliers' alignment with 1.5°C
Suppliers' use of renewable energy
Products designed for circularity
End-of-life takeback
Automotive
Dominant: P2+P3Priority KPIs
Product energy efficiency
Product material use
Suppliers' alignment with 1.5°C
Climate solutions transformation
Technology
Dominant: P1+P3Priority KPIs
Purchased renewable energy
Suppliers' use of renewable energy
Product energy efficiency
End-of-life takeback
Aligned with Science Based Targets
The Exponential Framework KPIs align with the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard's key components.
SBTi Requirements
- Near-term: Halve emissions by 2030
- Long-term: Cut 90%+ by 2050
- Neutralize residual with removals
- Beyond Value Chain Mitigation
ERI Pillar Mapping
- P1Scope 1+2 operations
- P2Scope 3 upstream
- P3Scope 3 downstream + solutions
- P4BVCM + removals