CDP: A global tool to manage and showcase your company's environmental impact
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is an internationally recognized non-profit organization that provides a voluntary platform for companies, cities, and financial institutions to measure, manage, and report their environmental data. The goal is clear: supporting companies in the fight against climate change, deforestation, water management, plastic waste, and biodiversity conservation.
Founded in 2000, the Carbon Disclosure Project offers a structured framework for organizations looking to participate in the Carbon Disclosure Project and strengthen their environmental commitment. It addresses a critical need: enabling the collection of accurate, standardized information on the environmental impact of human activities on a global scale.
By completing a CDP questionnaire, companies share transparent data on their practices regarding emissions reduction, climate risk management, and adaptation to environmental challenges. The CDP acts as a communication system between companies, investors, and the public, providing essential transparency regarding climate strategies and commitments.
The CDP questionnaire makes it possible to assess environmental impacts in a standardized way and assign a clear rating to each organization via a rigorous scoring system.
The score assigned reflects the organization's maturity on environmental issues, across 5 levels:
- A (Leadership): The company adopts ambitious practices for emissions reduction and fully integrates climate issues into its strategy.
- B (Management): The organization has defined a risk management policy and is beginning to implement concrete actions.
- C (Awareness): It has identified its environmental impact, but without deploying a structured response.
- D (Disclosure): It provides basic environmental data, without a formal policy.
- F: The company does not provide enough information to be rated.
This ranking helps stakeholders compare the levels of corporate commitment to climate change and the other dimensions covered by the CDP.
Responding to the CDP questionnaire is about much more than just complying with an external request. It is a voluntary commitment to a strategic process that offers multiple benefits:
- Managing your environmental impact with precision using recognized indicators,
- Improving the transparency of your internal and external communication system,
- Strengthening climate risk management,
- Boost your CDP score with investors and financial partners,
- Win more tenders
- Streamline your reporting efforts using an environmental reporting platform that can be reused for other frameworks (EcoVadis, labels, etc.).
L’inscription au Carbon Disclosure Project est simple et accessible à toutes les entreprises, qu’elles soient cotées ou non. Voici les étapes à suivre pour participer au CDP :
1. Create an account on the CDP website: https://www.cdp.net/
2. Choose your questionnaire(s) (climate, water, forests, plastics, biodiversity) based on your sector.
3. Identify an internal point of contact to lead the data collection process.
4. Prepare your responses using your carbon footprints, CSR policies, action plans, etc.
5. Submit your environmental data via the CDP platform before the deadline.
6. Once evaluated, your company will receive a score that your stakeholders can see.
Good to know: organizations can sign up proactively or be invited directly by their investors, clients, or partners.
Participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project sometimes involves a fee, which varies depending on the size and nature of the organization. The CDP generally distinguishes between:
- Publicly traded or large companies: a paid membership is often required, especially to access certain features of the reporting platform, get technical support, or benefit from an in-depth assessment.
- SMEs, local authorities, or companies invited by a client or investor: submitting the CDP questionnaire is often free, provided the organization completes the standard questionnaire and agrees to public transparency for its responses.
Here are some indicative benchmarks (check the official website each year):
- Administrative fees: starting from 500 to 1,000 USD for smaller organizations,
- Full access to CDP analytical tools: up to 10,000 USD for large companies wanting premium services (benchmarks, sector data, score tracking tools).
Good to know: submitting the CDP questionnaire remains voluntary and can be free if the company is selected by an investor or client, or if it chooses public participation without additional services.
Before committing, it is recommended to check the official CDP website directly or contact their team to find out the pricing conditions that apply to your profile.
Responding to the CDP questionnaire is a technical and strategic task that involves several internal departments (CSR, finance, procurement, HR, etc.). Furthermore, the deadline for submitting the CDP questionnaire is in early September: companies must be ready to provide complete, reliable, and well-supported environmental data within a tight timeframe.
👉 To work more efficiently and maximize your score, hiring a CSR consulting firm can be a game-changer.
A specialized firm provides you with:
- Speed: thanks to a streamlined methodology and proven tools, you save valuable time in data collection and structuring your reporting platform.
- Precise knowledge of the CDP questionnaire: consultants master the subtleties of the scoring system, sector-specific expectations, and changes in the ranking from one year to the next.
- A response that can be used for other assessments: by correctly structuring your data and your communication system, you also facilitate your efforts in other demanding frameworks such as EcoVadis, the SBTi, or other CSR rating systems.
Many companies wonder whether it is better to respond to the CDP questionnaire or prioritize other assessments. In reality, these approaches are complementary: each has its own objectives, uses, and processes. Here are the main differences between CDP, EcoVadis, and the SBTi.
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) focuses on large-scale environmental data collection. It allows companies to respond to a standardized questionnaire regarding their actions related to climate change, emissions reduction, water management, forests, plastics, and biodiversity.
What makes it unique:
- A public score ranging from A to F, used by investors, partners, and the general public,
- A high level of rigor and transparency,
- A focus on open communication and strategic positioning.
CDP is therefore particularly well-suited for companies that want to structure their climate reporting, showcase their environmental commitment, and position themselves for the long term within their sector.
EcoVadis is a CSR assessment platform widely used in business relationships, particularly between clients and suppliers. Unlike CDP, the EcoVadis assessment covers four main pillars: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
Its specific features:
- A confidential assessment, reserved for business partners,
- A score out of 100 (and medals: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum),
- A primarily transactional purpose, to reassure buyers within the supply chain.
EcoVadis is therefore particularly useful for companies that want to meet their clients' expectations and promote their CSR policy within B2B relationships.
The SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) is an independent framework used to scientifically validate a company's greenhouse gas emission reduction trajectory. It is not a questionnaire or a rating system, but an internationally recognized label.
SBTi stands out for:
- A thorough review of your reduction targets,
- The guarantee that your commitments are aligned with IPCC scientific recommendations,
- Growing recognition in tenders and among investors.
It is therefore a great complement to a CDP approach if your company wants to take its climate strategy further and be recognized for its decarbonization efforts.
The Carbon Disclosure Project is a voluntary platform for organizations looking to structure their response to global warming and broader environmental issues. Through its scoring system, it provides a clear framework for assessing environmental impacts, guiding emission reductions, and improving corporate transparency.
Signing up for the CDP and completing the CDP questionnaire means choosing rigorous environmental management that is recognized and valued by your stakeholders. By committing today, you are actively helping to build a sustainable future.
Your company's sustainable performance
