CDP reporting has increased significantly in recent years. In 2023 alone, over 23,000 companies reported directly to CDP and 330 CDP supply chain members requested sustainability data from more than 47,000 suppliers. This increase is largely due to increased awareness of climate and nature-related risks, the complexity of global supply chains and new global sustainability reporting requirements. In this first part of our two-part blog post, we give you a detailed insight into the basics of CDP reporting, its importance and how you can effectively participate.

What is the CDP?

The Carbon Disclosure Project, now known simply as CDP, is a UK-based not-for-profit organization that operates an environmental disclosure system for companies and public bodies. Since its inception in 2000, CDP has grown into a leading global platform, with over 23,000 reporting companies from over 100 countries in 2023.

What does CDP reporting mean?

CDP reporting requires companies to collect both qualitative and quantitative environmental metrics to complete specific questionnaires via the CDP's online response portal. These reports are then reviewed and assigned a score that reflects the company's ESG performance. Annually, the reporting process is initiated by the publication of an updated questionnaire, followed by a set schedule for data submission and final assessments in the fourth quarter.

Who reports to the CDP?

The world's largest companies use CDP to report on their environmental impact, with many expecting their suppliers to do the same. This makes CDP one of the most common ways that companies request environmental data from their supplier network. Based on this momentum, it is likely that your company will soon be asked to report such data through the CDP.

CDP opening schedule

The CDP disclosure schedule has changed in 2024 to make the process more efficient. The questionnaire will be published at the end of April and the submission deadlines will end at the beginning of October. This gives companies sufficient time to carefully collect and submit their data.

Part 2: Assessment framework and disclosure

Participating in the CDP is not only a response to the requirements of investors and regulatory bodies, but also provides a platform to transparently showcase your company's sustainability efforts. In the second part of this blog post, we will dive deeper into CDP's specific questionnaires and assessment strategies. We'll look at how to optimize your assessment and how sustainability software can help you achieve a higher CDP score and thus strengthen your position as a sustainable company. Stay tuned to learn more about the advanced aspects of CDP reporting.