CDP
CDP is an international not-for-profit organization that operates a global environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states, regions and public authorities.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is an international not-for-profit organization headquartered in the United Kingdom and operating through affiliated entities and offices across several major economic regions. It runs a global environmental disclosure system intended to make the measurement and reporting of environmental impacts a normal part of organizational management, investment analysis and public policy. The organization began by adapting the idea of environmental disclosure associated with the Global Reporting Initiative and applying it primarily to individual companies rather than national governments. Its early work focused on climate-related information requested by institutional investors. In its initial period, the project had 35 investor signatories and received responses from 245 companies. Over time, its scope expanded from corporate climate reporting to water security, deforestation, supply-chain impacts and environmental information from cities, states and regions. CDP’s model combines standardized questionnaires, investor and purchaser engagement, data collection, scoring and public reporting. Institutional investors use CDP’s requests to ask companies to disclose greenhouse-gas emissions, climate-related risks, transition plans, targets, governance arrangements and opportunities associated with a lower-carbon economy. Companies and suppliers can also be asked to report on water use and security, deforestation-related commodities and environmental risks in their value chains. Governments and cities use related programs to measure and disclose emissions and other environmental conditions. A central feature of the system is its annual scoring process. CDP evaluates responses through stages generally associated with disclosure, awareness, management and leadership. High-performing organizations may be included on CDP’s A List, which has become a widely recognized signal of the completeness and quality of environmental disclosure, although a score does not by itself certify that an organization has eliminated environmental impacts. CDP also publishes thematic analyses, sector research and datasets intended for use by investors, companies, public authorities and researchers. Its principal programs cover climate change, water security, forests, supply chains and cities. The forests program addresses commodities linked to a large share of global deforestation, including timber, palm oil, cattle and soy. The supply-chain program enables large purchasers to request environmental information from suppliers. CDP Cities provides a disclosure platform and questionnaire for local governments, while the Carbon Action initiative has used investor engagement to encourage emissions reductions, public targets and financially viable energy-efficiency or emissions-reduction investments. CDP is not a publicly traded company and does not operate as a conventional consumer brand. Its funding combines government and philanthropic grants with membership fees, administrative fees, sponsorships and data licensing. The organization’s legal structure includes separate entities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the United States, each with its own governance arrangements. By 2024, nearly 25,000 organizations were reported to have disclosed environmental information through CDP, and the organization stated that participating companies represented approximately two-thirds of global market capitalization. Its influence comes from linking disclosure to investor expectations, procurement requirements, corporate benchmarking and public environmental accountability.
History
CDP emerged from the idea that companies should disclose environmental risks and impacts in a consistent form that investors could use. The project adopted an approach related to the Global Reporting Initiative but concentrated initially on company-level disclosure rather than national reporting. Its early climate work was supported by institutional investors that asked companies to provide information on greenhouse-gas emissions, exposure to climate risks and potential opportunities arising from a transition to a lower-carbon economy. In its initial phase, CDP had 35 investor signatories and received responses from 245 companies. This investor-backed structure became a defining characteristic of the organization. Instead of relying only on voluntary corporate sustainability statements, CDP created a recurring information request supported by investors with substantial assets under management. The resulting data could be compared across companies and sectors and could be used in investment research, engagement and risk management. The organization gradually broadened its remit. Its climate change program continued to address emissions, transition risks, governance and low-carbon opportunities, while separate programs developed around water security and forests. The forests program focuses on commodities associated with significant deforestation pressures, including timber, palm oil, cattle and soy. CDP also created a supply-chain program through which major purchasers ask suppliers to report on climate and water risks, emissions-reduction efforts and related opportunities. CDP’s work expanded beyond companies to public authorities. Through CDP Cities, local governments can measure, manage and disclose greenhouse-gas emissions and other environmental information using a standardized questionnaire. Similar disclosure activity has involved states and regions. This extension reflects the organization’s view that environmental risks are managed not only by individual firms but also through infrastructure, land use, public services and regional policy. The Carbon Action initiative added a more direct investor-engagement dimension. Participating investors asked high-emitting companies to reduce emissions year over year, publish reduction targets and invest in projects with positive returns that could improve energy efficiency or reduce emissions. CDP also began sector-focused research to examine how carbon management differs across industries. Scoring and recognition became another important part of the system. CDP’s methodology assesses responses through a progression from disclosure to awareness, management and leadership. Organizations with strong results may receive high grades or appear on the annual A List. The scoring system has helped turn environmental disclosure into a reputational and benchmarking exercise, although it is designed to assess the quality and maturity of reported information and management practices rather than to function as a complete environmental certification. CDP operates through several legal entities. CDP Worldwide is a charity registered in England and Wales; CDP Europe is structured as a charity associated with Belgium and Germany; and CDP North America is an independent U.S. 501(c)(3) organization based in New York City. These entities have independent trustee boards. Funding is drawn from government and philanthropic grants, membership and administrative fees, sponsorships and data licensing. In Europe, a significant portion of funding has been associated with the European Commission’s LIFE program. By 2024, CDP reported that nearly 25,000 organizations disclosed environmental information through its system. It also stated that companies representing roughly two-thirds of global market capitalization participated. The organization’s present role is therefore broader than that of a climate questionnaire provider: it functions as an infrastructure layer for environmental disclosure, producing datasets, scores and engagement mechanisms used by investors, companies, procurement teams, public authorities, researchers and regulators.
- 2024
Large-scale global participation
[1]CDP reported nearly 25,000 participating organizations and stated that companies representing approximately two-thirds of global market capitalization disclosed through its system.
- 2016
Expansion of supplier disclosure
[1]Approximately 90 organizations used the supply-chain program to request climate and water information from suppliers. More than 4,000 suppliers reported through the program, including reported savings from emissions-reduction activities.
- 2015
Sector-focused Carbon Action research
[1]CDP began a new research series examining carbon management on a sector-by-sector basis as part of its investor-led Carbon Action work.
- 2012
Zayed Future Energy Prize
[1]CDP won the Zayed Future Energy Prize in recognition of its work related to environmental information and climate accountability.
- 2010
Recognition by Harvard Business Review
[1]Harvard Business Review characterized CDP as a highly influential environmental non-governmental organization, highlighting the reach of its disclosure model.
- 2002
Early corporate climate disclosure activity
[1]CDP’s early model focused on requesting climate and environmental information from companies on behalf of institutional investors. The initial network included 35 investors and received responses from 245 companies.
Products and positioning
A global environmental disclosure and accountability platform connecting organizations with investors, purchasers, regulators and other stakeholders through standardized data, scoring and engagement.
Environmental disclosure program
Climate Change Disclosure
CDP’s climate program collects information about corporate greenhouse-gas emissions, climate-related risks, governance, targets, transition planning and low-carbon opportunities. Requests are supported by institutional investors seeking comparable information for engagement and investment analysis. The program is the historical foundation of CDP’s broader environmental disclosure system.
Environmental disclosure program
Water Security Disclosure
The water program asks organizations to disclose their exposure to water scarcity and other water-related risks, as well as governance, management practices and reduction or resilience measures. It is intended to encourage companies and investors to treat water security as a material operational and financial issue.
Deforestation-risk disclosure program
Forests Disclosure
CDP’s forests program gathers information about exposure to deforestation and the management of supply chains involving timber, palm oil, cattle and soy. The program uses investor engagement and corporate disclosure to increase visibility into commodity sourcing, land-use impacts and related transition risks.
Supplier disclosure program
Supply Chain
CDP Supply Chain enables large purchasing organizations to ask suppliers for standardized information on climate and water risks, emissions, targets and reduction activities. It extends environmental accountability beyond a company’s direct operations into procurement networks and value chains.
Public-sector disclosure platform
CDP Cities
CDP Cities provides local governments with a framework for measuring, managing and publicly disclosing greenhouse-gas emissions and other environmental data. Cities use a standardized questionnaire to report conditions that affect urban climate planning, infrastructure and emissions-reduction strategies.
Environmental performance benchmarking
CDP A List and Scoring
CDP evaluates disclosures through stages covering disclosure, awareness, management and leadership. High-scoring organizations may be included on the annual A List. The scoring framework gives investors, companies and other stakeholders a common reference for assessing the completeness and maturity of environmental governance and reporting.
Investor engagement initiative
Carbon Action
Carbon Action is an investor-led initiative encouraging high-emitting companies to reduce emissions, publish reduction targets and make financially viable investments in emissions reduction and energy efficiency. It links disclosure with direct shareholder engagement and corporate action.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Supply Chain Climate and Water Disclosure
Global
Purchasing organizations asked suppliers to report on climate and water risks and opportunities through CDP’s supply-chain program.
Outcome. The program involved about 90 purchasing organizations and more than 4,000 suppliers, according to the cited reference.
- Global Climate Change Disclosure Request
Global
CDP coordinates investor-backed requests for companies to disclose climate risks, greenhouse-gas emissions, targets, governance and transition opportunities.
Outcome. The campaign developed into a recurring global disclosure system used by companies and investors.
- Carbon Action
Global
CDP supported investor requests for high-emitting companies to achieve annual emissions reductions, publish targets and make return-positive emissions-reduction investments.
Outcome. The initiative connected CDP disclosure with investor engagement and sector-focused research.
Brand decisions
- Expand from climate disclosure to broader environmental reportingStrategy
Background
The original corporate climate disclosure model was extended to address water security, forests, supply chains, cities and regional governments.
Action taken
CDP developed additional questionnaires, programs and datasets for different environmental topics and types of organization.
Aftermath
The organization became a broad environmental disclosure platform rather than a climate-only reporting initiative.
- Use investor and purchaser influence to increase disclosureStrategy
Background
CDP’s model relies on institutional investors and major purchasing organizations to request standardized information from companies and suppliers.
Action taken
The organization built disclosure campaigns supported by investor signatories, asset owners and procurement networks.
Aftermath
Disclosure became connected to capital allocation, shareholder engagement, procurement decisions and corporate benchmarking.
Recent events
- 2024
Nearly 25,000 organizations disclose environmental information through CDP[1]
Other
CDP reported that nearly 25,000 organizations disclosed environmental information through its system in 2024, while participating companies represented about two-thirds of global market capitalization.
- 2012
CDP wins the Zayed Future Energy Prize[1]
Other
CDP received the Zayed Future Energy Prize for its contribution to environmental disclosure and climate-related accountability.
- 2010
CDP receives recognition as a major environmental organization[1]
Other
Harvard Business Review described CDP as a highly influential environmental non-governmental organization, reflecting the growing importance of its investor-backed disclosure model.
CDP expands environmental disclosure beyond corporate climate reporting[1]
Other
CDP’s disclosure system developed from a climate-focused corporate information request into a broader platform covering water security, forests, supply chains, cities and regional governments.
Sources4 sources
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